NATCHEZ — Thanks to casino-quality surveillance cameras, Natchez Police should have a relatively easy time catching suspects who have broken into the former Eola Hotel about a half a dozen times over the last 30 or so days.

Thieves stole televisions and other items and vandalized hotel rooms, offices and other areas at the hotel.

Click here for Eola Hotel surveillance video footage.
Anyone who knows the identity of people in this video is asked to contact Natchez Police Det. Jerry Ford at 601-445-7543 or 601-445-5565.

 Once identified, Kevin Preston, president of Magnolia Bluffs Casino, said the owner of the hotel, Robert Lubin, a Virginia attorney, plans to press charges against all involved.

Lubin is also an owner of Magnolia Bluffs Casino.

“They just tore the place apart,” Preston said. “It’s one thing if you’re going to come in and steal something. But these people destroyed the place. There was no need to tear everything up.”

Preston said every room at the hotel was entered, but some rooms appeared untouched to a reporter Monday afternoon.

Preston said flat screen TVs and other items were stolen and cabinets in the rooms were overturned, mattresses were taken off beds, walls were spray painted, shampoo and similar items were poured out onto floors, toilet paper and towels thrown out into the hallways and left strewn about empty beer bottles and cans.

“Being a casino, we have sophisticated surveillance equipment. We set up some cameras,” he said.

Those cameras captured video of a number of perpetrators during the month of May. He characterized them as teenagers.

“At first it was just two or three of them, but as they got more comfortable coming in, they would bring more of their friends,” Preston said.

The video was recently turned over to the Natchez Police Department, but no arrests have been made.

Natchez Police Det. Jerry Ford said the police are investigating.

“We are still identifying the suspects,” he said. “We fully expect to identify these kids and, when we do, if they want to file charges, they will be prosecuted.”

Preston said, “We definitely will press charges.”