Striking Casino Worker Attacked

A striking Atlantic City casino worker is speaking out after an alleged assault by security guards at Bally's Casino.

It is the first report of violence since the strike by casino workers began two weeks ago.

Alberto Camilo-Pena, 40, said that he was doing nothing wrong when he was attacked, and now he is in a wheelchair.

"He tried to defend himself, saying, 'Don't touch me.' But they throw him on the floor," Camilo-Pena said through a translator.

Camilo-Pena described how, during an evening of picketing Sunday, he ended up with a broken kneecap. He said he got the broken kneecap after three Bally's security guards tackled him on a public sidewalk.

He said that at the time he was running to get a nearby strike captain for another picketer who was allegedly being videotaped by off-duty guards with a camcorder.

Camilo-Pena said that he feels very angry about what happened.

The Bally's employee said more guards then showed up, held him down, handcuffed him and took him to a room inside the hotel.

More than 30 minutes later, he said, he was released. He went to the hospital and later filed an assault charge with Atlantic City police.

The police are looking into the allegations and still trying to track down the guards allegedly involved.

Bally's casino filed a complaint against Camilo-Pena, claiming that he committed an act of vandalism on the property.

Camilo-Pena said the casino is making up the charges.

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