Police allege that the woman accused of using the credit card of a Super Bowl reporter found dead in a hotel room in Kenner, La., is a “career criminal” who has a history of drugging accusations.
At a press conference on Friday, Feb. 7, Kenner, La., police Chief Keith Conley says the cell phone and credit card of Telemundo Kansas City reporter Adan Manzano was found in the residence of suspect Danette Colbert.
Colbert is only charged with fraud and theft-related offenses, but police note that the investigation is still ongoing. It is not immediately clear if she has entered a plea or retained an attorney.
Conley says Kenner police were not previously familiar with Colbert but that New Orleans investigators were.
“She was found quite frequently in the French Quarter,” Colbert says. “And she’s known for these fraud schemes.”
Colbert has previously been arrested on allegations of drugging men, theft of currency and fraudulent use of credit and debit cards, police allege.
Conley noted two instances for which Colbert was charged with drugging another person, once in Nevada in 2022 and another time in Jefferson Parish, La., though the chief did not provide details on either incident or information of the disposition of those caes.
“She plays a confidence game, she’s definitely a career criminal,” Conley alleges.
Authorities have not yet determined Manzano’s cause of death.
Kenner police claim that hotel security footage shows Colbert and Manzano going to his room on the morning of Feb. 5 before she allegedly left the room alone later that morning.
Manzano was a sports reporter and anchor for Telemundo KC and Tico Sports from Kansas City, who was in Louisiana to cover Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, Telemundo Kansas City says in a statement.
“Adan was an exceptional professional and a rising star whose dedication and talent reflected excellence in his work,” the news station said. “We will deeply miss Adan, his passion for sports and the contributions he made to the local community.”