Jekai Reid-John, a 27-year-old man from Pennsylvania, is set to be extradited to New Jersey following a gruesome murder tied to the Parx Casino. Reid-John, from Norristown, is facing a murder charge and, according to reports, he followed the victim from the casino in Pennsylvania to his home in Plainsboro, New Jersey. There, he shot the victim in an apparent robbery, but the individual later succumbed to his injuries. The assailant reportedly followed the victim after he won around $10,000 at the casino, and it is reported that robbery was the motive.
Sree Aravapalli Won $10,000 at Parx Casino Before Being Murdered
According to police reports, the victim’s name was Sree Aravapalli. Reid-John attacked the 54-year-old after he arrived at his home following a win at the casino. Even though the exact stolen amount remains unknown, if it was indeed stolen, it is suspected that Aravapalli had won around $10,000 at Parx Casino.
Per reports, Reid-John watched Aravapalli leave the gaming property with the winnings in his hands a few hours before the shooting took place. He followed the victim and entered his residence via a sliding door. Several shots were fired while Aravapalli was downstairs and, as prosecutors have stated, he suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Even though he was rushed to a local hospital, he was declared dead shortly after his arrival.
Reid-John Charged with First-Degree Murder
According to sources, Aravapalli was the father of two children and worked in a pharmaceutical company. When the shooting took place, his wife and daughter were sleeping upstairs. Last Wednesday, Reid-John was charged with first-degree murder and, according to local media, he might rake up more charges. Reid-John has been held at the Montgomery County jail in Pennsylvania.
A mourner at the funeral of Aravapalli shared some words of caution. Vivek Taneja spoke to WNBC, a NY TV station, and said that even though you can determine whether someone is following you or not during the daytime, it is impossible to do so at the night. Taneja has been to Atlantic City and Las Vegas but never suspected that someone would end up following him. He added that he needs to keep his eyes open at all times, not just when he’s at casinos.
Frederick Tavener, Plainsboro’s police chief, released a statement after the shooting in which he expressed his condolences to the Aravapalli family. He added that the event is alarming and unexpected, not just for the family and friends, but for the entire community.
Casino.org tried reaching out to the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office to get more details, but Conner J.E. Ouellette, the assistant prosecutor, stated that the investigation is under limited public comment.
Earlier in October, Pennsylvania was also shocked to hear that a 30-year-old man stabbed a Bethlehem, PA, resident. The victim’s name was Elson Aviles, and he was driving home with the assailant from the Wind Creek Bethlehem casino at the time of the incident. As police reported, he was seriously injured by his passenger. Even though he was taken to a local hospital, Lehighvalleylive.com, a regional news site, reported that he died shortly after surgery.