Pechanga Resort Casino Defendants Found Guilty of Murder By California Jury

Posted on: February 9, 2023, 03:53h. 

Last updated on: February 9, 2023, 04:20h.

Two women were convicted Wednesday for robbing and murdering an 84-year-old woman in a restroom at Temecula, California’s Pechanga Resort Casino, according to a local news report.

The Murrieta, Calif. jury deliberated for just two hours before concluding that Candace Tai Townsel, 42, and Kimesha Monae Williams, 38, both of Moreno Valley, were guilty for the death of Afaf Anis Assad of Long Beach, Calif.

They were convicted of first-degree murder, robbery, elder abuse, and a special charge of killing during the course of a robbery, with great bodily injury, Patch reported.

The two women were at the casino on August 31, 2019. They were on the watch for people from whom they could steal.

Just as they were ready to leave the casino at 7:30 a.m., they saw Afaf Assad and her 92-year-old husband walk into the gaming property.

He went into a gaming room. She went into a women’s restroom. Williams and Townsel followed Assad into the lavatory. They stood by an exit while she went into a stall. A short time later, Assad left the stall and walked toward a sink.

One of the suspects then allegedly yanked a pink purse from her. The force used to swipe the bag severely bruised her left arm, prosecutors said.

The other suspect allegedly pushed Assad, who fell. The back of her head stuck the floor.

A witness in a nearby stall heard a loud thud.

The duo kept a custodian from entering the restroom until after they fled with the purse. Inside was between $800 and $1,200 in cash.

While still on the gaming property, Townsel was “skipping and waiving her hands in a celebratory fashion,” prosecutors said.

Suffered Brain Hemorrhage

The custodian soon was able to get into the restroom. She saw that Assad was bleeding and unconscious. She contacted casino security and EMTs who provided initial treatment.

Paramedics soon arrived. Assad was rushed to Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar, Calif. She didn’t regain consciousness and doctors determined she suffered a brain hemorrhage, Patch said. Three days later, she passed away.

Using surveillance video and witness statements, the murder was investigated. The two women were arrested about a week later.

Their trial began last month. Witnesses testified for several weeks. Prosecutors and defense attorneys presented closing arguments on Tuesday.

The sentences will be announced by Riverside County Superior Court Judge Timothy Freer. A date for the sentencing has yet to be scheduled.

Life in Prison Likely

Given the charges, both defendants are likely to be sentenced to life in prison, according to Patch. There likely will be no option for parole, the report said.

Townsel continues to be held at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, Calif. Williams is being held at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside, Calif. Neither was given bail.

Previously, Williams was convicted for auto theft, burglary, and grand theft. Townsel was previously convicted for theft and driving on a suspended license.

Williams is the sister of Los Angeles Clippers basketball player Kawhi Leonard, according to The Press-Enterprise, a California newspaper.

Source: casino.org