By Sadef Ali Kully
The man suspected of firing shots in the World Resort Casino parking lot turned himself in at the 106th Precinct with his attorney Tuesday night after authorities released his photo to the media, the police said.
Jaquan Roberts, 22, from Brooklyn was charged with two counts of assault, criminal possession of a weapon and reckless endangerment, according to court records filed by the police.
As police were in the middle of breaking up a brawl inside the South Ozone Park casino last Friday night, shots were heard in the casino parking lot and officers rushed to the scene to conduct a search of the lot, then all area hospitals but found no victims with a gunshot wound, the NYPD said.
Surveillance video of the incident was discovered and detectives poured through additional video and were able to track Roberts back into the casino before the shooting began and capture his image, authorities said.
From the license plate shown on the video, it was determined that Roberts fled in a gray 2001 Acura with New York state plates, said police.
Detectives were able to trace a registered owner’s name and address to two people who have been arrested in the past. Driver’s license photos of those two individuals, along with a surveillance photo of Robert from inside the casino, were then taken to the NYPD’s Real Time Crime Center’s Facial Recognition Unit, according to police.
The Facial Recognition Unit then identified Jaquan Roberts, who had been arrested in 2010 on charges of possessing a loaded .22 caliber American Arms revolver after he shot himself in the right leg, police said.
The chair-throwing, fist-flying brawl with a dozen people took place inside the food court last Friday on the line for FAT Tuesdays, a New Orleans daiquiri chain, and police responded to a call to control the crowd, according to numerous videos posted on the Web. It was the opening night for the FAT Tuesdays’ concession, which was offering free refills on drinks.
Three other men were arrested in the brawl, Andrew Rivers, 23, from Brooklyn, was charged with disorderly conduct; Jovan Bovell, 23, was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest; and Marcus Stewart, 30, was issued two summonses for disorderly conduct and released, the NYPD said.
Five people were injured, including one police officer who had a hand injury and four security personnel, suffered minor injuries, sources said.
“On Friday evening, Resorts World security responded to an altercation in the food court area and worked to quickly bring the situation under control,” the company said in a prepared statement. “The safety of our patrons is Resorts World’s top priority, and there is absolutely no room for this kind of behavior at our facility. We are reviewing all aspects of this unfortunate event and are fully committed to taking steps to ensure similar acts do not take place ever again.”
A spokesman from World Resorts Casino said security has been increased and the establishment is cooperating with police authorities in the investigation.
“This is an isolated incident for us,” he said. “ There is no pattern here of previous incidents.”
The cause of the brawl was under investigation.
Reach Reporter Sadef Ali Kully by e-mail at skull
