In Las Vegas, a former fugitive from Colorado, Matthew John Ermond Mannix, 36, pleaded guilty for his involvement in a dramatic incident on the Las Vegas Strip, which led to a significant hotel standoff. The incident involved furniture being thrown from a Caesars Palace window.
On Thursday, Mannix was sentenced to pay nearly $55,300 in restitution to the hotel and faces up to four years in prison.
Mannix, originally from Golden, Colorado, stood in restraints and expressed remorse for his actions. He attributed his behavior to a mental health crisis and a relapse into severe drug and alcohol abuse after struggling with addiction for 20 years.
He acknowledged that he wasn't in his right state of mind during the incident.
His attorney, David Roger, explained that Mannix had a history of substance abuse and had consumed over ten illegal drugs and various prescription medications in the past. Currently in custody, Mannix is receiving treatment for bipolar disorders and schizophrenia.
Roger noted that Mannix's family had already fulfilled the financial restitution promised to Caesars Palace.
Roger emphasized that Mannix was experiencing hallucinations due to several days of intense drug use leading up to his arrest on July 11.
The incident unfolded as a five-hour daylight standoff at a 29-story hotel tower along the Las Vegas Boulevard resort corridor. It prompted a substantial response from the Las Vegas police SWAT team and resulted in guests evacuating a pool area, with broken glass and furniture falling from a 21st-floor window onto building rooftops below.
Fortunately, there were no reports of serious injuries.
As part of a plea agreement, Mannix pleaded guilty to felony property destruction and misdemeanor negligence on August 17. In exchange, prosecutors dropped more severe felony charges of kidnapping and coercion. It's important to note that in Nevada, a kidnapping conviction can lead to a life sentence.
The plea agreement stipulated that Mannix would be transferred to Colorado to serve his Nevada sentence concurrently with any prison time he might receive for a probation violation related to a kidnapping and domestic violence case in Jefferson County.
Clark County District Court Judge Crystal Eller decided to sentence Mannix to a term ranging from 19 months to four years, rejecting the prosecutor's request for a maximum five-year sentence. This sentence allows Mannix to participate in a prison substance abuse recovery program.
It remains uncertain whether Mannix will serve his sentence in Nevada or Colorado.
Mannix had been held in Las Vegas on $750,000 bail since he surrendered to police at his hotel room door. Authorities revealed that he had previous convictions in Colorado, including kidnapping in 2022 and property damage in 2012. Multiple individuals had court orders of protection against him.
The incident at Caesars Palace, initially characterized as a hostage standoff, involved Mannix forcibly bringing a woman into a room and claiming to possess a firearm. Investigators determined that both Mannix and the woman had consumed drugs for several days, leading to drug-induced paranoia during the standoff.
Roger noted that the woman willingly accompanied Mannix to the room, and police observed them engaging in consensual activities during the standoff. The woman was not charged with any crimes, and no firearm was found.
Meanwhile in Denver, a Colorado city has agreed to a substantial settlement of nearly $2.8 million in a lawsuit brought by the mother of a man who was killed by the police in 2021. See detailed story here.
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