RENO, NEVADA – A Reno man, 27-year-old Bill Ellis, has been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years. Ellis was convicted of separate attacks on two women that occurred in December at different Reno casinos.

The first incident involved a 63-year-old casino employee who was cornered by Ellis in a restricted area. Ellis groped the woman before being interrupted by other employees. Security footage captured the assault, which was later used as evidence by Reno Police.

Just an hour later, Ellis struck again at a separate casino. He entered the women’s restroom and waited for a victim. A woman entered a stall, unaware Ellis was present. Ellis then forced his way under the stall door, threatening the woman with a knife and attempting sexual assault. The woman managed to de-escalate the situation by convincing Ellis to leave for her hotel room.

However, on the way, Ellis threw the woman to the ground on an escalator and renewed his assault attempt. Fortunately, a passerby intervened upon hearing the woman’s screams, allowing her to escape.

Ellis was apprehended by police later that day. He pleaded guilty to two separate charges: battery with intent to commit sexual assault against an older person, and attempted sexual assault with a deadly weapon.

The judge in the case highlighted the severity of Ellis’s crimes and the potential danger he posed to the community in handing down the sentence.

Source: 2News