Santa Barbara – The Chumash Casino, located in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley, attracts a wide variety of visitors…even those who are suspected of being violent felons. It was on the casino floor, just as the lunch buffet was being offered to gamblers at noon on January 6th, that Maurice Joyles, a 40-year old Santa Barbara resident, was approached by deputies of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department and taken into custody.
Deputies had been alerted to Joyles’ presence at the casino pursuant to what SBSD Public Information Officer Kelly Hoover described to the media as a “be on the lookout” alert to area law enforcement. The circumstances leading up to Joyles’ arrest involve an alleged assault and robbery occurring on the evening of New Year’s Eve, December 31st, upon an 80-year old acquaintance of his at the senior’s home.
The report of the assault and robbery was not made until the morning of January 6th with the assistance of the purported victim’s niece, accusing Joyles of having entered the 80-year old’s house at approximately 7:00 p.m. when he “physically assaulted him and attempted to place a plastic bag over his head.” The elderly man reportedly succeeded in resisting Joyles’ violent attack “but received minor injuries during the struggle,” Hoover indicated. Before he fled the scene that evening, Joyles is alleged to have taken $500 in cash from his victim’s wallet.
Joyles was arrested on the floor of the Chumash Casino, and summarily transported to Santa Barbara County Jail where he was charged with attempted murder, robbery, and elder abuse, with his bail set at $1,000,000.
Photo: Courtesy Santa Barbara County Jail Booking
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