The two women were sentenced to a minimum of 10 years and maximum of 25 years in prison for the robbery and murder of a 25-year-old hotel guest
Two young women are going to prison after they were recently sentenced for the murder and robbery of a Las Vegas Strip hotel guest.
Killers to Spend Between 10 and 25 Years Behind Bars
The criminal case dates back to May 2023, when the victim, Bryan Altamirano-Solano, was found dead from a gunshot wound in his hotel room at Caesars Palace. Not only was the 25-year-old man shot but he was also robbed. It didn’t take long for law enforcement to identify two suspects for the ruthless crime, Erika Covington, 21, as well as Arionna Taylor, 22.
An investigation into the crime recovered a pistol casing from the victim’s room. The pistol casing reportedly matched a gun owned by Taylor. The two young women were also recorded by CCTV at various locations in Caesars Palace on the day of the murder.
Now, as reported by KLAS, Covington and Taylor received lengthy prison sentences Thursday from Clark County District Court Judge Tierra Jones. The sentencing follows a guilty plea agreement for the duo dating back to November. At the time, Covington and Taylor pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and robbery with a deadly weapon.
Per their guilty plea, the two women agreed to go to prison for sentences between 10 years and 25 years. Judge Jones sentenced Covington and Taylor to at least 10 years in prison, in line with their guilty plea agreement. With that in mind, the maximum time they may serve is 25 years. In 2033, the women will qualify for parole, taking into account the credit for the time they already served in prison.
CCTV Helped Identify the Murderers
Nelly Altamirano, Altamirano-Solano’s mother, spoke via remote connection during the recent sentencing hearing. The mother of the victim acknowledged the deep pain she felt because of the ruthless crime against her child. “I felt like I just lost my life. I had so many questions. Why? Why my son,” Nelly Altamirano said.
Altamirano-Solano’s father, Victor Altamirano, was present during the sentencing. With the help of an interpreter, the victim’s father asked for justice. Victor Altamirano also said: “It wasn’t enough just taking his belongings, they had to kill him.”
The deadly crime dates back to the early morning hours of May 15, 2023. A surveillance camera at Caesars Palace’s valet area captured the victim at around 2:14 AM speaking with two women. Another footage from a different area recorded Altamirano-Solano and the two women going into the victim’s room at approximately 2:35 AM.
Separate CCTV footage, taken minutes later, showed Covington and Taylor running down a hotel hallway. According to law enforcement, the recording showed one of the women carrying a bag, the same one seen carried by the victim earlier. In the morning of the same day, hours after the shooting, Altamirano-Solano was found dead in his hotel room by a housekeeper.
