LAS VEGAS, NEVADA: In a shocking turn of events, an encounter between two individuals who met on a dating app turned deadly, leaving one person dead and an 18-year-old woman facing serious charges.
As details emerged, the circumstances surrounding the incident raised questions about the perils of online dating and the consequences of impulsive actions. Meanwhile, authorities worked diligently to unravel the events leading up to the fatal encounter.
Who is Emma Kusak?
Emma Kusak, now 18, who made her first court appearance on Wednesday, August 2, 2023, was charged with open murder, robbery, and grand larceny of a motor vehicle in connection with the tragic shooting death of 36-year-old Charlie Satrustegui on June 29 at the Luxor Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. During her court appearance, a judge ordered Kusak to remain in custody without bond until an August 7 bail hearing. The incident unfolded after Kusak made a startling call to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police, confessing to the shooting and leading authorities to the scene of the crime on the 12th floor of the Luxor.
According to the arrest report obtained by KTNV, Kusak told officers that she had met Satrustegui on the dating app Bumble, approximately two months before the incident. They exchanged phone numbers and developed a friendship, communicating through about 30 text messages over that period. On June 28, Satrustegui texted Kusak, proposing they meet as he was visiting Las Vegas from California.
The two purchased alcohol at a local Albertsons at 4 pm and then proceeded to Satrustegui's hotel room at the Luxor. There, they consumed eight shots of vodka, and at one point, Satrustegui showed Kusak his handgun and told her he liked to hunt and go shooting. The gun was placed on the nightstand next to the bed, and they eventually fell asleep around 1 am.
The tragic confrontation
At 3 am, Kusak stated that Satrustegui woke her up and asked her to leave the room due to her persistent coughing, leaving her with nowhere to go. Feeling desperate, she made a drastic decision. She took Satrustegui's gun with the intention of robbing him and stealing his wallet, phones, and car keys. She confronted Satrustegui, demanding his possessions, and he complied by handing over his keys. However, when he attempted to retrieve the gun, a struggle ensued, resulting in Kusak shooting him. “Emma pointed the gun at Satrustegui and told him, ‘to give her his [expletive],” the arrest report stated. “Charlie complied and gave Emma his car keys. Charlie then lunged for the gun and Emma shot him.”
With Satrustegui incapacitated, Kusak took the phones and $300 in cash from his wallet before driving away in his vehicle. On June 29, she abandoned the vehicle a few blocks away, leaving behind the wallet, phone, and car keys. She then took an Uber to a nearby location before contacting the police, indicating her willingness to surrender.
During the arrest, Kusak exclaimed, "I didn't mean to do it," which was noted in the arrest report. “Emma said she didn’t mean to shoot him and didn’t want to shoot him, but she had nowhere to go and didn’t want to go back to jail. Emma said she impulsively shot Charlie,” the document states. The lifeless body of Charlie Satrustegui was found at the Luxor, having suffered two gunshot wounds to his head, according to reports, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Legal proceedings
At the time of the shooting, Kusak was only 17 years old and voluntarily turned herself in to the authorities on the afternoon of June 29. She was initially held in juvenile detention but transferred to the Clark County Detention Center on her 18th birthday on July 26. Kusak currently has a public defender representing her, and it remains unclear if she has entered a plea. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 16, where the court will evaluate the evidence and determine if the case will proceed to trial.
