The so-called “Bourbon Street Hustler” suspect arrested in connection with a Super Bowl reporter’s Feb. 5 death can be seen in a new security camera photo from the Kenner, Louisiana, hotel where the reporter died just before authorities found him.
Adan Manzano, a 27-year-old Telemundo reporter based in Kansas City, Missouri, traveled to New Orleans on assignment to cover Super Bowl LIX.
He was found dead on Feb. 5, the same day security footage from the Comfort Suites hotel in Kenner allegedly showed Danette Colbert entering Manzano’s room and Colbert leaving by herself later on, according to Telemundo 39.
Colbert, 45, whom Kenner police described as a “career criminal,” is facing four counts of being a fugitive, two counts of a traffic violation, one count of “purse snatching,” one count of aggravated device fraud, one count of illegal transfer of funds, one count of bank fraud, one count of computer fraud and one count of robbery. More charges may be filed once a medical examiner completes Manzano’s autopsy.
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Kenner police said Monday that Manzano may have been drugged, and other people have come forward with similar stories about “suspicious deaths under similar circumstances” that authorities are working to investigate, according to FOX 4 Kansas City.
“Miss Colbert has quite a record and rap sheet for confidence games, access device fraud and robbery schemes.”
On Friday, Kenner Police Department Chief Keith Conley told reporters during a press conference that detectives found one of Manzano’s credit cards was missing while processing his hotel room.
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“It was the same credit card that was used to check into the hotel, as well as a cellphone that was missing,” Conley said.
Authorities said they also obtained video surveillance footage from security cameras at the hotel and noticed Manzano arriving at his hotel room around 4:35 a.m. on Feb. 5. Colbert can be seen leaving and re-entering his room “a short time later.” Then around 6 a.m., she leaves and does not return, according to Conley.
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Detectives reportedly obtained a search warrant allowing them to track the credit card’s location, at which point they were led to Colbert.
Authorities said they executed a search warrant at Colbert’s address after identifying her as a potential suspect and located a stolen firearm that did not appear to be related to Manzano’s death, as well as narcotics.
Conley said the suspect “plays a confidence game.”
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“She’s definitely a career criminal. All her crimes are against … persons, such as access device frauds, simple robberies, thefts, things of that nature,” he told reporters.
He added that there are three separate criminal cases “in which she’s got access to their personal information and their credit cards in that manner, and there’s several others on her rap sheet.”
Telemundo 39 remembered Manzano as “a true professional and a rising star, who exemplified excellence in his work” in a statement.
“We will deeply miss Adan and his passion for sports, and the contributions he made to the local community,” the statement reads.
Manzano’s wife, Ashleigh Boyd, died in a car crash last year in Kansas.
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