84-year-old Woman sues Casino for $50,000 after Kidnapping, Assault and Robbery Ordeal

An 84-year-old woman who was kidnapped, robbed and assaulted after being followed through a Pennsylvania casino by her attacker is suing the casino for more than $50,000 after being offered only a “free dinner” as compensation for her ordeal…

The horrific incident occurred in December of 2019 at the Wind Creek Bethlehem casino, when the unnamed victim was followed by Hykeem Sessoms through the casino floor, struck on the head and bundled into a car.

Sessoms, jailed for between 12 and 24 years for the assault, eventually made off with just $7, but the 84-year old victim has been left traumatised by the attack.

“This is the worst nightmare for anyone with a mother or a grandmother,” said her attorney, John Pinto, of Philadelphia-based VSCP LAW.

Pinto added that the elderly casino patron, having received treatment for her injuries, now rarely leaves her home and suffers flashbacks, for which she receives therapy.

“Her life and independence have been forever impacted by the events ... that were permitted to occur due to Wind Creek’s negligence and recklessness,” Pinto claims in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit claims gross negligence on the part of the Wind Creek Bethlehem, Pinto stating:

“…the casino targets this vulnerable population of seniors as clients to profit from, but then they’re not taking the most appropriate measures to make sure these people are safe.”

Pinto goes on to explain that no-one from the casino security team intervened “despite clear indication that she was at risk of imminent harm by the perpetrator that had been following her.”

Police reports indicated that an employee heard the woman screaming “I don’t have any money!” as she was attacked, but by the time the employee notified other staff, Sessoms had driven off with the woman.

The lawsuit states that Wind Creek ought to have been extra vigilant, citing “deficiencies with its security and surveillance practices”. The Pennsylvania establishment had allegedly been “subject to numerous violations and fines by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board for security lapses/violations including in the months leading up to” the attack.

According to the civil lawsuit, the casino offered only a “free dinner as a proposed remedy” for the 84-year-old’s ordeal, and is seeking more than $50,000 in damages.

Wind Creek spokesperson Julia Corwin would only say that the casino “worked closely with local law enforcement throughout” the investigation into the incident.

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