Several people were arrested Friday after an alleged kidnapping and dispute about gang affiliations took place last month at Red Hawk Casino.The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office said on Oct. 14, several Hispanic men and women confronted two white men and one woman at the casino and asked them if they were “Placerville Peckerwoods.”The group told the others that they weren’t part of a gang, the office said. Investigators said they didn’t find any gang ties to that group.Officials said one of the Hispanic men insulted the woman from the other group, and she got angry and attacked him. When one of the white men tried to break up the fight, deputies said he was punched and hit with a beer bottle.As casino security guards broke up the fight, some members of the Hispanic group went to an elevator and grabbed a woman who wasn’t involved in the fight, officials said.According to the sheriff’s office, the group “told the victim that she was going to get them out of the casino (using her vehicle) and they would let her go once they were at the freeway.”
Once inside the parking garage, the woman got away and contacted casino security.
She escaped without injury.Detectives from the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office said they identified six Hispanic men on security cameras who were involved in the kidnapping as known gang members.Arrest and search warrants were obtained, and several law enforcement agencies arrested five people who were allegedly involved in the incident.On Friday, officials arrested Jesse Madrigal, Steven Santiago, Ricky Mora, Stephen Lizotte of Riverbank, and Ernie Lizotte of Riverbank.Officials said several guns, gang indicia, ecstasy, marijuana and a large amount of money were seized in the investigation.Lt. Bryan Golmitz said gang activity at the casino is rare.