Brother considered suspect in second resort crime

Keith Paul

Friday, Nov. 3, 2000 | 10:34 a.m.

A man accused along with his brother in the July robbery of the Treasure Island hotel-casino is now wanted as the suspect in the heist of the same resort early Monday, Metro Police said this morning.

Reginald Johnson, 27, was staying in a Strip motel the day of the recent robbery of Treasure Island, said Lt. John Alamshaw of Metro's robbery unit.

Alamshaw said detectives have the probable cause necessary to arrest Johnson in connection with Monday's robbery.

"We believe he took a bus to Southern California some time after the robbery," Alamshaw said.

Johnson and his brother Donnell Johnson are accused of fleeing to California after July's robbery.

According to police, the pair rented a small jet after the robbery and flew to Southern California. There they bought a car and drove to San Diego, where they are accused of pulling off a $1 million jewelry heist.

Police suspect the pair made a getaway to Mexico after the San Diego holdup.

In Monday's robbery, a lone gunman jumped over the counter at the main cage about 12:30 a.m., struck a cashier with a blue steel .380-caliber handgun, stuffed money down his shirt, then fled out the front door.

Security guards chased the robber, who fired a shot at them as he was fleeing. No one was hit by the gunfire, Alamshaw said.

The Johnson brothers are accused of going into Treasure Island on July 12, jumping over the counter and robbing the main cage. One of the robbers had a blue steel .380-caliber handgun and hit a cashier with the gun. Both stuffed money down their shirts, Alamshaw said.

Donnell Johnson was apprehended in Florida in September and is in custody.

Donnell Johnson also is suspected in the robberies of Treasure Island, MGM Grand and the Tropicana resorts 3 1/2 years ago. At that time Reginald Johnson was in custody on other charges and is not suspected in that string of robberies.