Two dudes from South Gate were apparently on a mission to cause chaos in Los Angeles County casinos. Juan Gabriel Gonzalez, aged 22, and Dereck Nathan Lopez, aged 21, were out there scouting for winners to later ambush in a series of highway robberies. The whole thing came to light when an indictment was unsealed last Friday, revealing their alleged criminal activities.
According to the indictment, Gonzalez and Lopez would stalk their victims’ vehicles after they left the casinos. They would then launch their attacks, brandishing guns, breaking car windows, and demanding cash or chips. In 2023, along with other co-conspirators, they were said to have carried out around 15 robberies, including a crazy three in just one night. These two men managed to snatch a whopping $274,600 in cash, chips, and other valuables, as per the indictment.
The charges brought against them include multiple counts of interference and attempted interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act), Hobbs Act conspiracy, and several counts of using firearms during violent crimes. Lopez, on top of all that, faces additional charges for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.
Gonzalez was set to make his first appearance in court that very Friday. On the other hand, Lopez was already in state custody, with plans for his appearance in federal court in the weeks to come. We reached out to Gonzalez’s lawyer for a statement, but we haven’t heard back yet. As for Lopez, it’s unclear if he has legal representation.
Between May and December 2023, these two troublemakers targeted gamblers at various casinos like Parkwest Bicycle Casino, Hustler Casino, The Commerce Casino & Hotel, and The Gardens Casino. They would apparently use fake IDs to enter the casinos and then zero in on Asian winners to rob.
On May 13, 2023, Lopez supposedly informed his buddies about a big-money target, known as Y.W., who had scored a hefty sum in casino chips. After trailing Y.W. from Parkwest Bicycle Casino, the gang forced Y.W. to halt the car on an off-ramp and made off with about $60,000. The following month, they did the same thing to two other victims, swiping around $130,000 from them.
In a bizarre turn of events, Lopez was caught on camera gambling with a victim named H.K. inside the Commerce Casino & Hotel. They were apparently celebrating together after a win. However, things took a dark turn later that night when they robbed H.K. of $21,000 at gunpoint.
Lopez’s legal troubles didn’t end there. Authorities found three firearms and over 30 rounds of ammo at his home in December 2023, leading to more charges due to his previous conviction for grand theft.
If these guys are convicted on the federal charges, they could be looking at spending the rest of their days behind bars. Not exactly the best retirement plan, right? The whole situation is just a big mess, with innocent people being targeted for their hard-earned winnings. Let’s hope justice is served and these two learn their lesson.
