Los Angeles News

MURRIETA, Calif. (CBS) ― A fourth suspect, who is at large, is facing charges Tuesday in the $1.58 million Soboba Indian Casino heist, authorities said.

An arrest warrant was issued Friday for Ricky Davis Aban, the same day the criminal complaint was filed by the Riverside County District Attorney's Office.

"He has not been apprehended," said district attorney's spokeswoman Ingrid Wyatt.

Aban, 19, of Carson, is charged with one count each of being an accessory by aiding a principal in a felony to escape arrest or trial and possession of stolen property.

The other three suspects, including alleged ringleader Rolando Luda Ramos, 25, pleaded not guilty last week to various charges in connection with the Aug. 2 robbery.

Ramos, who had worked at the casino for about two years, faces life in prison with the possibility of parole if convicted of three counts each of robbery and kidnapping to commit a robbery, and one count each of using tear gas, burglary and false imprisonment.

The alleged getaway driver, 23-year-old Eric A. Magdaleno Aguilera, faces the same counts.

Sonya Marie Boyorquez, 23, who lives with Aguilera in Hemet, could be sentenced to three years in prison if convicted of an accessory charge.

It was unclear why Aban wasn't arrested when he was interviewed at the sheriff's Hemet substation on Aug. 7 and, according to court documents, handed over $198,444 of the stolen money.

According to a declaration filed in support of the arrest warrant, deputies had tracked down Aban after he was spotted walking into a room at the Executive Inn in Gardena with Ramos, who was arrested at the hotel on Aug. 4.

Aban allegedly told investigators he heard about the heist on television newscasts and received a call that day from the suspect asking for his help.

He told deputies that he and his wife, Angelica Garcia, drove to San Bernardino and picked up Ramos, then took him to a hotel on Pacific Coast Highway in the Los Angeles area, according to the court document.

The couple checked Ramos into a room using Aban's name. But the following day, Aban picked Ramos up and took him to the couple's Carson home in the 100 block of East 218th Place, the document states.

Ramos allegedly gave Aban about $198,000 for his help, according to the declaration.

Authorities have recovered all but $29,130 of the $1,581,809 million stolen from the casino, Riverside County sheriff's Investigator Jerry Franchville said last week.

Ramos, Aguilera and Boyorquez are being held in lieu of $1.58 million bail each, which reflects the amount stolen from the casino.

Aguilera was arrested Aug. 3 after a search of his apartment turned up $500,000 of the stolen cash, authorities said.

Ramos and Boyorquez were picked up Aug. 4 -- Ramos in the Executive Inn near Los Angeles International Airport and Boyorquez at her home.

Investigators allege Aguilera drove the black Ford Mustang that was used in the heist and belongs to Ramos.

Following the robbery, Ramos allegedly text-messaged his accomplice to pick him up and then the two drove to a residential area about a mile from the casino, where the Mustang was abandoned down an embankment and Aguilera's vehicle was picked up.

Ramos told a Press-Enterprise reporter in a jailhouse interview that he was a pawn in the caper and alleged the actual mastermind of the heist was Aguilera.

Riverside County Assistant Sheriff Patrick McManus said Ramos had about $800,000 and some powdered cocaine with him when he was arrested.

Aguilera allegedly had $500,000 in his apartment when picked up for questioning, authorities said.

Ramos, who worked for two years as a technician on the casino's video surveillance systems, allegedly disabled several security cameras before pulling off the heist.

The suspect had an unarmed security guard and a security guard trainee escort him into a surveillance room, where he allegedly tied up and gagged two men and a woman, pepper-spraying one of the men.

Ramos then allegedly went into the vault and forced seven other men and women workers to stand in a corner facing the wall while he loaded a duffel bag with the money.

Sheriff's deputies called to the casino at 23333 Soboba Road about 5:15 a.m. forced their way into the two rooms, McManus said.

Ramos was on probation for DUI when he was arrested, court records indicate.

Boyorquez has only traffic-related convictions on record with the court in Riverside County, records indicate.

(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)