Woman Accused of Stealing from TV Reporter Discovered Dead in Hotel Room

NEW ORLEANS—Authorities are looking into the death of a television reporter who was in New Orleans to cover the Super Bowl. On Friday, they announced the arrest of a woman accused of using his credit card.

Adan Manzano, 27, an anchor and reporter for Telemundo in Kansas City, Missouri, was discovered dead in his hotel room in Kenner, a suburb of New Orleans, on Wednesday, according to police.

On Thursday evening, Danette Colbert, 48, a Louisiana resident, was arrested. She faces four felony counts along with a misdemeanor charge of fraud and theft, as stated by Kenner Police Deputy Chief Mark McCormick.

Additionally, Colbert is also charged with a state felony for possession of a stolen firearm; however, Kenner Police do not regard this charge as connected to Manzano’s incident, said St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office Lt. Suzanne Carboni.

Security footage showed Colbert arriving at Manzano’s hotel room with him around 5 a.m. on the day he died and leaving alone about an hour later, police reported. She used Manzano’s credit card at various stores nearby, and authorities subsequently recovered his credit card and cellphone at Colbert’s home in Slidell, located northeast of New Orleans.

Police also found narcotics at Colbert’s residence, as noted by Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley during a press conference on Friday. Investigators believe she acted independently, Conley stated.

A phone number linked to Colbert’s home has been disconnected, and there has been no response to an email sent to an address associated with her.

Conley labeled Colbert a “career criminal” recognized by New Orleans police for engaging in “fraud schemes.”

“Everyone should be aware of their surroundings,” Conley stated. “This highlights the fact that there are individuals who take advantage of others, gaining their trust to victimize them.”

Colbert was arrested twice in 2022 in Las Vegas for felony charges of grand larceny and aiding in a felony crime by administering a drug, according to court records. In both incidents, she was accused of drugging men in their hotel rooms on the Las Vegas Strip and stealing from them, as reported by attorney Daniel Lippmann, who represented her.

Lippmann informed The Associated Press that both cases were dropped since the victims chose not to testify. He declined to comment on the latest accusations against Colbert.

In one instance, a victim reported waking up alone with a bloody nose after accompanying Colbert to his hotel room, from which $50,000 in cash, a Rolex watch, $11,000 in poker chips, his phone, and a designer luggage bag had disappeared, as reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal in 2022.

Last year, a Louisiana jury convicted Colbert of theft and fraud. She was ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution, according to Orleans Parish court documents.

Steve Downing, General Manager of Telemundo Kansas City, described Manzano as a “rising star” and a “true professional”—a bilingual television anchor and reporter who loved sports and had covered the Kansas City Chiefs’ last two Super Bowl victories.

“He always had a smile on his face, and he relished the work he did,” Downing remarked. “He was deeply committed to delivering the best sports news to the local community.”

Kenner police are currently awaiting the full autopsy results from the coroner, which will help determine if Manzano’s death was a homicide, Conley mentioned.

The coroner’s office is conducting toxicology tests, with results anticipated to arrive in three to four weeks, stated Tim Genevay, Jefferson Parish Director of Forensic Operations. No apparent physical trauma was found on Manzano’s body, he added.

Manzano, originally from Mexico City, later relocated to Kansas, as reported by NBC affiliate KSNT.

He is survived by his 2-year-old daughter, whom he had been raising alone with family assistance after his wife’s tragic death in a car accident last year, Downing disclosed.

By Jack Brook