Man goes to prison for punching woman in casino fight

A woman punched in the face at the former Hard Rock Casino causing the loss of two teeth and a fractured upper jaw testified at her attacker’s sentencing on Monday.

“He said I got caught up in the middle of the fight, but he locked eyes with me before he hit me,” she said of the November 2021 altercation. “He knew what he was doing.”

Larry Lee Burns, 48, hit the woman after a fight broke out between his party and her party at a bar in the casino.

Video surveillance at the casino showed Burns approach the victim’s party, though there was no sound, it was visible there was an argument between the two groups.

The woman’s group then left the bar and Burns is shown following them. After attempts to get Burns to leave them alone, a man from the victim’s group punched Burns. That’s when the victim stands between the man and Burns. Burns then strikes the victim and proceeds to attack the other man.

“The video is important because it answers the question whether it was intentional,” said Douglas County District Court Judge Thomas Gregory.

Burns was sentenced to 24-60 months in prison and was remanded into the custody of the sheriff to immediately begin his sentence. He was given credit for three days.

• A 74-year-old man who was severely injured after he was pushed off a golf course bridge in April said he may never be able to golf again.

The survivor, who landed face down in a dry ditch at Carson Valley Golf Course, said he had eight bolts and two bars inserted into his back during a sentencing hearing conducted Monday afternoon.

King Rickey McCarthy, 72, received a suspended 12-30-month sentence on Monday after he entered a no contest plea to a charge of battery with substantial bodily harm. He will serve two years probation.

As part of his sentence, McCarthy was required to pay $3,249.84 in restitution representing co-pay for $45,000 in medical bills.

McCarthy apologized for the April 6 incident, saying he didn’t mean any harm to the man.

Attorney Maria Pence said that McCarthy was sober for decades until he started suffering from tremors in 2019 and started drinking when he played golf, which was nearly every day.

Prosecutor Bill Murphy called two witnesses to the stand, who testified that the injured man didn’t do or say anything to provoke McCarthy.

After meeting on the bridge, the man said he turned to walk away and McCarthy, who had a preliminary blood alcohol content of .134, pushed him from behind.

Pence said she discussed the possibility of going to trial, but McCarthy decided there was a chance he could be convicted.

• A California woman is scheduled to appear in East Fork Justice next week on charges of vehicle theft and eluding connected with her Nov. 4 arrest.

Jasmine Tahchenupi Andreas, 45, is accused to taking a 2020 Ram 1500 pickup containing a dirtbike and $3,000 in equipment, according to court documents.

She is alleged to have travelled 60 mph through the construction zone and then up to 95 mph in the 65 mph zone.