He was found at a rest stop near the Texas Panhandle. A sheriff’s deputy was tipped off when he noticed a stolen license plate on a dark gray Cadillac.
How 42-year-old Anthony Wrobel was hunted down in Texas all the way from Las Vegas was not sheer luck, however. Metropolitan Police Department homicide Captain Robert Plummer said, “This case is a true example of good, old-fashioned police work.” Answering to the very serious charges against him will require the help of a Las Vegas criminal defense attorney.
What Were Wrobel’s Crimes?
Anthony J. Wrobel is accused of attending a picnic for employees of The Venetian Hotel-Casino and opening fire on executives. Sadly, Mia Banks and Hector Rodriguez fell victim to Wrobel’s rage; Banks, 54, passed away at Sunrise Hospital, and Rodriguez remains severely wounded and hospitalized.
Several days before the crime took place, Wrobel had parked the gray Cadillac at a parking garage at McCarran airport so he could ditch his personal (and very distinct) black and purple charger and switch cars before he fled the state.
It is reported that Wrobel left a note for the detectives in his apartment on the coffee table with details regarding his rage toward the casino executives, who were his bosses.
The series of events leading to Wrobel’s discovery in Texas are as follows:
- His license plate was spotted near the small town of Vega, Texas; police discovered that the plate had been reported stolen from another car in Cedar City, Utah.
- The Oldham County sheriff’s deputy (Vega is part of Oldham County) radioed for backup after running the stolen plate.
- Deputies approached Wrobel’s car at the rest stop around 3 a.m. Wrobel was asleep inside the car but woke up as the deputies got nearer. He grabbed a handgun but quickly dropped it when authorities confronted him.
- Wrobel was brought to the Oldham County Jail where he is being held and awaits extradition back to Clark County, facing counts of murder and attempted murder.
Finding Solace in Justice
Alyssa Anderson, a spokeswoman for The Venetian’s parent company, Las Vegas Sands Corp., thanked authorities for their fine detective work and said, “All of us continue to mourn the loss of Mia Banks; our hearts are with Mia’s family. We hope [Wrobel’s arrest] provides some solace for everyone impacted by this tragic event.”
Metro calls Wrobel’s shooting a “targeted act of workplace violence” and described Wrobel as “disgruntled.” Wrobel had been working at the Venetian for 15 years at the time of his crime.