Amarillo Slim Preston Robbed

A robber shot at him in October, with two bullets striking his pickup.
Four months later, robbers waited for him to come into his own home to shove his own shotgun into Thomas Austin "Amarillo Slim" Preston Jr.'s stomach.

"I told him, I said now 'Pull the trigger on that -damn thing or put it down,'" Preston said, recalling a robbery at his home Sunday night. "I said 'I don't feel real comfortable with that shotgun pointed at me.'"

But it isn't the trauma of the robbery that has Preston - a famous poker player and gambler - worried, he said. It is a prized belt buckle he had made in Seattle more than 40 years ago.

Preston, 78, is seeking return of the buckle, which has "Amarillo Slim" emblazoned on it in platinum, along with jade on it, and is willing to offer a reward for its return - no questions asked.

Preston wasn't hurt in the robbery.

Nobody in the world is going to wear it," he said. "They are going to either melt it or throw it away. Just tell me where it is and I'll go get it."

The robbers also made off with two shotguns and a large amount of cash he had on him, Preston said. He declined to say how much.

The home-invasion robbery of Preston's home in the 3800 block of Virginia Street is the second run-in with robbers Preston has had in the past four months.

A vehicle cut Preston's car off in Amarillo on Oct. 4. A passenger got out of the vehicle and pulled a gun on Preston, demanding money from him.

He told police that he said no, and slammed his car into reverse, which led the robber to fire three rounds at Preston's car, with two rounds striking it.

Sgt. Randy TenBrink of the Amarillo Police Department said police are investigating the recent robbery and no arrests have been made in either case.

Preston said he had been watching a Los Angeles Lakers-San Antonio Spurs game Sunday afternoon at a friend's home. But when he walked into his home about 6 p.m., he saw two men, one masked and the other unmasked, in his apartment with his shotguns in their hands.

"They were just waiting for me to come in," Preston said.

The masked robber then told Preston he was going to kill him, Preston said, which spurred a profanity-laced retort from Preston.

The masked man then took one of Preston's shotguns and shoved it into his belly, Preston said.

"The man without the mask didn't abuse me at all," he said. "He was damn near cordial."

The two men then stripped Preston and tied his hands and feet with three bolo ties they found in his apartment, and told him to lay down on the floor - a request Preston did not want to comply with.

Preston, who has a pacemaker, said he didn't want to be placed on the cold floor, and face the risk of no one coming by to check on him.

So the robbers decided to put him on the couch, Preston said, with the masked robber saying he was going to get a pillow.

"I thought that was the end," Preston said. "There is just one reason to go get a pillow. A shotgun makes some noise. You put that pillow over (that weapon) and pull the trigger, you are going to hear nothing. It's not a good feeling."

Preston said while the robbers took a large amount of money off him, he was just worried about surviving.

"Money is just how you keep score," he said. "It was of secondary importance."

Preston said he was able to loosen the ties around his hands and feet and went to his apartment complex's office, where a woman there called police, he said.

"I probably would have never called (the police)," he said.

Despite the harrowing incident, Preston said he has no plans to move from Amarillo.

"I am too old to let some pimp, drug dealer, dopehead make me do that," Preston said. "I have been advised to, but I am going to stay right where I am, and I want everyone to know it."

Preston said anyone who has information about the robbery or the buckle should call Amarillo Crime Stoppers at (806) 374-4400 or the APD Detective Division at (806) 378-4251