Woman with alleged history of drugging men arrested in death of KC reporter at Super Bowl
A woman whose arrest record includes allegations of drugging men and theft has been arrested in connection with the death of Kansas City sports reporter Adan Manzano.
Danette Colbert of Slidell, Louisiana, was arrested by Kenner police, officials said in a news release. Colbert was arrested and was being held in New Orleans.
When she is processed in Kenner, she will be charged with simple robbery, access device fraud, illegal transmission of monetary funds, bank fraud, and computer fraud, as the investigation continues.
Manzano, 27, was found unresponsive in his Comfort Suites hotel room in Kenner on Wednesday, officials said. There is no indication Colbert worked with anyone else, according to Kenner police deputy chief Mark McCormick.
Security video at Manzano’s hotel allegedly shows Colbert with Manzano on the morning of his death between 4:30 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. Colbert is allegedly seen leaving shortly after.
Colbert allegedly used Manzano’s credit card at several stores in the New Orleans area. Colbert used Manzano’s card as recently as 7 a.m. Wednesday morning, McCormick said.
A search warrant found Manzano’s cellphone and credit card, an illegal firearm and narcotics in Colbert’s Slidell home. Colbert may also face criminal charges in St. Tammany Parish for those items, McCormick said.
Manzano was on assignment covering his third Super Bowl for Telemundo and Tico Sports, a multimedia production company that broadcasts Chiefs games in Spanish, when he was found dead.
Manzano’s death comes less than a year after the death of his wife, Ashleigh Boyd, who was a teacher for the Topeka Public Schools District. The couple is survived by their toddler daughter.
Manzano’s initial autopsy results found no obvious signs of trauma, according to the Jefferson Parish coroner’s office. They said the results of the toxicology tests will take several weeks.
Alleged criminal pattern
Colbert allegedly has a history of drugging men, theft of currency, and fraudulent credit and debit card use, among other financial crimes. Colbert has at least three past cases where similar fraudulent behavior is alleged, McCormick said.
One alleged case happened in Jefferson Parish in 2020, and another alleged case occurred in Nevada in 2022, McCormick said. Kenner police also had record of a prior case involving Colbert in 2018 where she used a victim’s credit card to buy Visa gift cards, among other items.
Most of Colbert’s criminal history stems from finding patrons in the French Quarter or the city of New Orleans and stealing their property, Kenner police said.
Kenner police are asking people with information to call the Criminal Investigations Division at (504) 712-2222 or CrimeStoppers at (504) 822-1111.
This story was originally published February 7, 2025 at 9:48 AM.