A chilling twist emerged Friday in the death of Adan Manzano, a 27-year-old TV reporter who traveled to cover the Super Bowl but mysteriously died in a hotel room.
A “career criminal” with a history of drugging men was spotted entering and leaving Manzano’s room the morning of his death, police in the New Orleans suburb of Kenner said. They added she then used his credit card at “several” spots in town.
Danette Colbert, 48, was arrested Thursday night, but only faces property crime charges “at this time,” police said. They said a probe into the “rising star” reporter’s death remains ongoing, however, and her charges could be upgraded after the coroner’s office releases its findings.
“She plays a confidence game,” said Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley. “She’s definitely a career criminal. All her crimes are… access to vice, frauds, simple robberies, thefts, things of that nature.”
Danette Colbert / Kenner Police Department
The chief said Colbert had an illegal firearm and drugs at the time of her arrest, but said the gun is not tied to Manzano’s death. He did not rule out the drugs playing a factor, however, but did not say what type.
Conley said cops first suspected potential foul play when they realized Manzano’s wallet—which he had used to check into the hotel—was missing from his room.
Security footage showed Colbert and Manzano entering the a Comfort Suites hotel room together at 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, Conley said. Colbert allegedly left the room shortly after but returned a second time. She then left again around 6 a.m. and never returned, Conley said. Manzano was never seen leaving the room.
Conley said his department will eventually release the security footage. He said he was not comfortable saying if Manzano appeared to be intoxicated or not in the footage.
Colbert’s previous arrests include her allegedly drugging a man and stealing $50,000 from him on the Las Vegas Strip in 2022, the Daily Mail reported. Colbert denied the crime, but was reportedly charged on similar allegations later that year.
The tabloid added Colbert was arrested for allegedly driving 100 miles per hour near a school in Nevada that same summer, and Conley said she was arrested the following year in New Orleans for drugging someone.
A Facebook page in Conley’s name has been dormant since 2021, with her last post coming from from Las Vegas.
Manzano, a Telemundo Kansas City reporter who was working his third Super Bowl, was found dead Wednesday afternoon after he did not show up to work events as expected. He had spent the first half of the week interviewing NFL superstars that included Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes.
Manzano posted from the festivities on Monday, writing, “The teams, the emotion and all the stories surrounding this great event where the Chiefs seek the long-awaited three-time championship begin here.”
A cause of death is yet to be released for Manzano, adding to the mystery of the Mexico City native’s passing.
There has since been an outpouring of praise and tributes to Manzano, whose wife died in a car crash last year. They had one child together, a young girl who was seriously injured in the wreck that took her mother’s life in Topeka, Kansas.
“Adan was an exceptional professional and a rising star whose dedication and talent reflected excellence in his work,” his station said in a statement. “We will deeply miss Adan, his passion for sports and the contributions he made to the local community.”
Conley warned others traveling to the Super Bowl to be alert, as he claims criminals are known to travel to big events and prey on those who are in an unfamiliar setting.
“This brings to light that there are people out there that prey on other people and bring them into their confidence and victimize them,” he said. “I know that whenever you have a major event like the Super Bowl, you get these traveling criminals that come in and, you know, find victims.”
