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 woman with an alleged 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 told the Daily Beast. They added she then used his credit cards at “several” spots in town.
Danette Colbert, of Slidell, was arrested Friday, but only for property crimes “at this time,” police said. They said a probe into the “rising star” reporter’s death remains ongoing, however, with an update expected to come later Friday.
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.
Manzano, a Telemundo Kansas City reporter who was working his third Super Bowl, was found dead Wednesday. 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.”
