Carson City detectives arrest pair for vehicle burglary crimes; Lyon County deputy among victims
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Thu, 04/29/2021 - 10:40am
Two were arrested late Wednesday for suspicion of vehicle burglary and other offenses following an investigation, subsequent search warrant and confessions, according to a Carson City Sheriff's Office booking report.
David Bennett, 35, and Katrina Rakow, 30, were taken into custody at 8:40 p.m. in Storey County. Bennett was booked for felony suspicion of two counts vehicle burglary, obtaining/use of credit card without the owner's permission, obtaining money under false pretenses, possession of a controlled substance and gross misdemeanor possession of burglary tools.
Rakow was booked for suspicion of felony vehicle burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary.
According to the booking report, on April 20, Carson City sheriff's deputies responded to a casino in the 900 block of South Carson Street for a report of a vehicle burglary. Deputies determined through video surveillance the burglary happened between 3:45 and 4:15 a.m.
Deputies observed a male subject exit a beige-colored Nissan sedan with aftermarket wheels and faded paint on the roof. The male suspected walked to the rear passenger door of a white Ford Expedition and used a window punch or similar tool to break out the rear window. Nothing was taken from the victim vehicle, the arrest report states.
On April 27, a Carson City sheriff's detective was contacted by a Lyon County Sheriff's Office deputy who advised deputies responded to two Dayton casinos for reports of vehicle burglaries. The deputy advised the same suspect vehicle and possible male suspect from the Carson City burglary conducted two more vehicle burglaries. The LCSO deputy advised the vehicles located in the two Dayton casinos had both windows broken out, similar to the Carson City vehicle burglary.
The LCSO deputy and the Carson City detective were able to identify David Bennett and Katrina Rakow as the suspects from the vehicle burglaries in Dayton. The LCSO deputy also advised the suspects went back to the casino to gamble.
Casino employees familiar with the vehicle burglary investigation were able to get a license plate number for the beige Nissan sedan. Both suspects were in the vehicle and drove to the casino and used their player club cards. Law enforcement ran the vehicle registration, which came back to a Storey County residence, according to the booking report.
On Tuesday April 27, a deputy advised the CCSO detective of another burglary at a Dayton casino on April 27. The detective looked at the video surveillance from the casino and noticed it was the same suspect vehicle involved from the Carson City burglary, a beige color Nissan sedan with aftermarket wheels and faded paint on the roof.
On Wednesday, April 28, the CCSO detective was notified of another vehicle burglary in the Dayton area in which a private vehicle that belonged to a Lyon County Sheriff's Office deputy was broken into at a fitness center. The deputy informed the detective that his bank card was used at a Carson City casino, according to the booking report.
The detective responded to the casino and watched video surveillance, observing the suspect from prior incidents. The suspect withdrew $500 using the LCSO deputy's credit card, according to the report.
A CCSO sergeant located the beige sedan with aftermarket wheels and faded paint on its roof, parked at a Storey County residence. CCSO requested a warrant for the search of the vehicle and anything associated with the burglaries. Also requested was a search warrant of the Storey County residence. The search warrant requests were granted.
Prior to executing the warrant, the Nissan sedan left the residence with a male and female inside. It was stopped in the area of Wagon Wheel Way and Elizabeth Drive in Storey County. The male was identified as David Bennett and the female, Katrina Rakow.
During a search of the vehicle, officers located male clothing that matched the suspect from surveillance of the burglary incidents, also a drill bit attached to a "T" handle that could be used as a punch tool to break vehicle windows. Also located in the vehicle was a small amount of methamphetamine, according to the report.
The two were Mirandized and agreed to speak. The woman, Rakow, admitted she knew about, and was present for, the vehicle burglary at a Dayton casino on April 27 in which a Dodge pickup was burglarized and a purse stolen out of the vehicle. She was arrested for her part of the vehicle burglary and for suspected conspiracy to commit burglary.
Bennett was mirandized and admitted to committing the burglary at the Carson City casino on April 20. He admitted to the vehicle burglary at a Dayton casino on April 27, and admitted he obtained a purse from that vehicle burglary. He admitted he committed three burglaries in Dayton, at two Dayton casinos.
The officer asked the man what property he obtained from the vehicle burglary at a fitness gym. Bennett replied: "that one was f***up," the arrest report states. He said the vehicle at the fitness center belonged to "cop."
The detective asked the man what he did with the property. Bennett disclosed where the property was located. The detective asked about the $500 cash withdraw using the deputy's bank card. Bennett admitted he made the $500 withdraw and gambled the money at a casino in Reno, according to the booking report.
Multiple articles of clothing matching the description from video surveillance from the vehicle burglaries was located during the search of the Storey County residence. That property was recovered as evidence for the case.
At the time of the booking, Bennett was arrested for two counts suspicion of vehicle burglary, possession of a controlled substance, obtaining/using a credit card without the cardholder's permission, obtaining money under false pretenses and possession of burglary tools. Total bail amount listed for Bennett: $80,000. Total bail amounted listed for Rakow: $27,500. Additional charges may be forthcoming.
— All information for the crime log (unless otherwise noted) comes from the arrest reports supplied by the Carson City Sheriff's Office, and is considered by law to be public information. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The policy of Carson Now is to name anyone who is arrested for a felony offense.
