Posted on: August 30, 2023, 10:46h.
Last updated on: August 30, 2023, 10:46h.
The two women charged with a Caesars Palace Las Vegas murder in May have both pleaded not guilty. They have chosen to have a jury trial.
Las Vegas Judge Tierra Jones has set a joint trial date for Erika Covington, 20, and Arionna “Ari” Taylor, 21, for next June.
The two have been indicted on charges of murder with the use of a deadly weapon, robbery with the use of a deadly weapon, burglary while in possession of a firearm, and kidnapping, as reported by the Las Vegas TV station KLAS.
The victim, Bryan Altamirano-Solano, 25, was killed in a Caesars Palace hotel room on May 15.
An autopsy conducted by the Clark County coroner’s office determined that Altamirano-Solano died from a single gunshot to the left chest, ruling it a homicide.
Both women have been in custody at the Clark County Detention Center since their arrest on May 17.
The trio initially met at approximately 2:14 a.m. in Caesars Palace’s valet area before entering the hotel.
According to KLAS, surveillance footage shows Altamirano-Solano walking hand-in-hand with his two soon-to-be killers on the property. The three then proceeded to his hotel room on the fifth floor at approximately 2:35 a.m. on May 15.
Altamirano-Solano was carrying a brown bag with him. Half an hour later, the women were seen running in a hotel hallway, with one of them carrying the same bag.
The women then left for the Linq Hotel, where they got into a white sedan that had been stolen on April 11, according to Las Vegas TV station KTNV.
A housekeeper discovered Altamirano-Solano’s lifeless body in his Caesars Palace room at approximately 11:30 a.m. and promptly alerted the security staff.
Casing Found
During a search of the room, police discovered a cartridge casing marked with “HORNADY” as the headstamp.
This casing was connected to a domestic violence incident on South Pecos Road in Las Vegas on May 10, where Taylor had been a victim, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal.
Further analysis confirmed that the bullet used to kill Altamirano-Solano matched the casing from the domestic violence incident, as reported by Las Vegas TV station KVVU.
The suspects were ultimately identified through photos on Taylor’s Instagram account, hotel surveillance footage, and the casing.
Police also seized a Glock magazine and the clothing believed to have been worn by the women at the hotel from a residence.
According to KLAS, Covington requested to speak to a lawyer when questioned about the events that occurred in the hotel room. Taylor claimed to have a poor memory due to a car accident and was unable to provide information to the police about what transpired in the room.
Altamirano-Solano, originally from Nicaragua, was seeking asylum in the United States.
Third Woman
The Caesars Palace room was registered under the name of an unidentified woman. She and Altamirano-Solano had arranged to meet at the hotel room that night after connecting through an app.
They engaged in sexual activity during their time in the room. By 1:30 a.m., Altamirano-Solano escorted her to her car.