Dodgers Pitcher Robbed At Santa Anita Racetrack

Los Angeles Dodgers seven-year veteran pitcher Walker Buehler was one of three victims targeted for theft at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California racetrack last month. 

Buehler’s watch, valued at six figures, was stolen in the theft. The thieves managed to get their hands on the watch by surrounding him and taking the watch off of him.

Speaking of sleight of hand, a casino dealer in Singapore recently used that same tactic to steal casino chips. 

Buehler Attended A Horse Race On An Off Day

On September 28th, Buehler attended the horse race with his wife and teammate Jack Flaherty. This was during the Dodgers final regular season series against the Colorado Rockies on the road. Buehler didn’t need to travel with the team. 

Buehler is a Kentuck native and even owns some stake in Kentucky Derby winner Authentic. 

Following the theft, the agency that represents him, Excel Baseball, released the following statement: 

"Following Walker's final regular season start on September 27th, he and a number of other players did not travel to Colorado for the final regular season series. That weekend, Walker and his wife McKenzie, were attending horse races at Santa Anita Park," the statement read. "While walking from the (paddock) to their seats, Walker was unknowingly the victim of a snatch and grab robbery of his watch."

Police Comment On Incident

After the incident, the Arcadia Police Department released a statement on their X account.

"In one incident, a victim was walking among a large crowd of patrons," the statement said. "While walking within the crowd, the victim was encircled by a group of unknown suspects. These suspects limited the movement of the victim, creating confusion.

"While the movement of the victim was limited, one of the suspects was able to remove the victim's watch from their wrist. After removing the watch, the group of suspects dispersed and left the area. At that time, the victim realized their watch was stolen and reported the incident to Santa Anita Park security. At no time during the incident was the victim threatened."

Victims were able to identify they were robbed, but the thieves blended into the crowd quickly after. 

An Arrest Has Been Made

While Buehler’s watch was stolen and the second victim didn’t notice until hours later, the third victim immediately picked up on what was happening and confronted the suspects. 

The third victim was able to quickly notify security and Arcadia police. 

This led to the arrest of 24-year-old Camilo Nino-Hernandez, a native of Los Angeles. 

Nino-Hernandez has officially been changed with felony grand theft and also possessing a fraudulent Social Security card. 

“Based on the initial investigation, it appears all three victims were targeted by different, organized groups of people whose sole purpose was to steal high-end watches through distraction and utilizing the large crowds at the event to create confusion,” the Arcadia Police Department said in a statement.