Hearing set in Bellagio robbery

Kim Smith

Monday, June 19, 2000 | 11:11 a.m.

A July 10 preliminary hearing date has been set for two men accused of robbing the Bellagio two weeks ago.

The men are suspected in a series of other violent casino holdups and a deadly armored car robbery in Henderson.

Oscar Sanchez Cisneros, 23, and Jose Manuel Vigoa, 40, appeared before Justice of the Peace Deborah Lippis this morning. Together the two face 16 charges stemming from the robbery at the Bellagio.

According to authorities, Vigoa and Cisneros are two of the three armed men who walked into the Bellagio June 3 and robbed it while wearing body armor. As they were fleeing, two shots were fired at pursuing casino security guards.

Four days later, when police tried to arrest Vigoa, he led them on a high-speed chase with his 12-year-old daughter and his wife in the vehicle with him. The chase ended on Sunset Road after his vehicle crashed into a tree.

Vigoa faces two additional charges in connection with that chase, child endangerment and eluding police.

Authorities believe Vigoa also masterminded a series of other holdups at New York-New York, Mandalay Bay, the Desert Inn and the MGM Grand, although charges have not yet been filed.

In addition, police are trying to tie the pair into the armored car robbery outside the Ross Dress for Less store on March 3 that left Armored Transport guards Richard F. Sosa and Gary Dea Prestidge II dead.

Deputy District Frank Coumou said police are waiting for the results of ballistic and DNA tests before filing charges in those cases.

Special Public Defender Phil Kohn and Deputy Special Public Defender Darren Richards will represent Cisneros, and Deputy Public Defender Drew Christiansen has been assigned to handle Vigoa's case.