Washington State Casino Killer Identified as Ricky Josh Fuentes

The man accused in the gruesome murder of another individual on the casino floor of a popular Auburn, Washington resort has been identified.

Police say Ricky Josh Fuentes, 31 of Lacey, Washington, entered the Muckleshoot casino during the early morning hours of Sunday April 21 with the intent to kill an associate but, after an hours long search for his original target without any luck finding him, Fuentes decided he needed to murder someone else.

A 29-year-old man playing craps would become his new victim.  Surrounded by fellow gamblers, the individual was stabbed in the neck with a box cutter by Fuentes and died an hour later after medical personnel attempted lifesaving measures.  There was no conversation observed prior to the attack.  Fuentes did not know the man.

The suspect would later tell the police he observed the victim “being a bully” at a craps table and selected him as his target. Fuentes freely admitted to stabbing him in the neck.

A witness, Beverly Sarmiento, described the horrifying scene to local news affiliate KIRO 7.

“Everybody was actually around a lady that was next to him because she was winning. There were a bunch of people there. And suddenly, we hear a lot of screaming.  There was screaming and a guy took off his shirt, gave it to (the victim) and started pressing on (the wound).”

More details have surfaced since the horrific killing.

At approximately 1:33 a.m., Auburn Police responded to the area of the Muckleshoot Casino for a suspicious circumstances call. An unidentified person called 911 at about 1:30 a.m. and yelled, “He’s bleeding out!” and then disconnected.

Court documents state the wound started at the center of the man’s throat and “extended toward the right side of his neck.” The man was “spurting blood across the carpeted floor of the Casino.”

A bloody box cutter was laying nearby the scene.

An Officer reviewed surveillance camera footage which confirmed the facts of the investigation.

Fuentes was arrested for Murder 1st Degree, RCW 9A.32.030.

Fuentes had been arrested this past October by the Lacey Police Department on suspicion of an out-of-town misdemeanor warrant.

The victim had yet to be identified as of Wednesday morning.

- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com