Burglars hit sports book at Nevada Palace

David Kihara

Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2004 | 9:55 a.m.

Two men netted about $4,700 when they burglarized a Leroy's Race and Sports Book outlet inside Nevada Palace on Monday night, a Leroy's employee and police said.

The suspects burglarized the sports book at 8 p.m. on Monday in full view of the gamblers and customers at Boulder Highway casino.

"It was a grab and run," said Bruce Jordan, the employee of Leroy's who was behind the counter at the time of the burglary.

Jordan had placed the stacks of cash on the counter of the sports book outlet and was locking the cashier's drawer when a man in his mid-20s grabbed the money and ran out the door.

Jordan followed the suspect into the parking lot, but not before the suspect jumped into the passenger side of a white Mercedes Benz with Arizona plates, Jordan said. The two suspects away on Boulder Highway, Jordan said.

"I didn't see a weapon, and my instinct was to get the money," he said.

A police officer at the scene who declined to be identified said that the police could not confirm the car was from Arizona. The officer said police had not apprehended any suspects in the burglary.

According to Jordan, who has worked at Leroy's Race and Sports Book for a year and a half, the outlet at Nevada Palace had been robbed three times previously, including once just a month before he started working there.

Jordan said he is no stranger to robberies. Before working behind the counter at Leroy's Race and Sports Book, he worked at an AM/PM Mini Mart at Nellis and Twain. He said he was robbed three times while working there.

"I came here because it's safer," he said.