Kevin Edward Brunner
A former South Lake Tahoe City council candidate appeared in custody in Tahoe Township Justice Court on Thursday morning after he was booked just after midnight Wednesday.
Bail was set at $3,500 cash or bond for Kevin Edward Brunner, 32, who is accused of having 28 grams of methamphetamine and . 2 grams of fentanyl in his sock, according to prosecutor Bill Murphy.
Brunner was spotted by security in Dotty’s Casino at Stateline who was aware he was on probation for a felony arson in California.
When deputies contacted him they allegedly found the drugs and a pipe on him.
Attorney Brian Filter said that Brunner recently underwent surgery and has an appointment in Placerville in the next week.
“He’s having a hard time, and his condition is life threatening,” Filter told Justice of the Peace Mike Johnson. “He showed me the scar and it looks like it was major surgery.”
He was convicted by a jury last year of felony vandalism and attempted arson and placed on probation in South Lake Tahoe. The charges stemmed from an Oct. 1, 2022, incident at an ex-girlfriend’s apartment where she found a broken window and Brunner inside, according to the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
• A former Hard Rock Casino cage manager is facing felony embezzlement and theft charges in Douglas County for allegedly making off with $9,000 and fleeing the state.
Alberto Jesus Caballero was working for the casino in 2021 and a warrant was issued in the case.
Attorney Brian Filter said Caballero was pulled over for a traffic violation in Texas and authorities there found the warrant. He was required to post a $5,000 bond and ordered to return to Nevada.
A representative for the Golden Nugget, which is the successor in interest to the Hard Rock, said from his review of the incident, the theft was not spur of the moment but a calculated effort.
“My concern is him fleeing again and us not getting justice,” the representative said.
Bail was set at $1,500 cash only and Caballero must waive extradition.
• A San Francisco man and woman who were stopped for a broken headlight were booked early Thursday morning on possession charges.
Bradley Howard Mears and Shemeca Renee Cottle were taken into custody after the vehicle they were in was pulled over in Stateline.
The couple allegedly had 9 grams of methamphetamine, according to the prosecutor.
Johnson set bail for both of them at $2,000 cash or $5,000 bond.
• A Doyle, Calif., man who is accused of crashing into a Sheriff’s Office motorcycle parked at the scene of a 1 p.m. collision at Spooner Junction at Lake Tahoe.
The man didn’t have a valid drivers license, registration or insurance.
He’s facing misdemeanor charges, including failure to yield to an emergency vehicle and failure to use due care around a pedestrian.
