Four people have been arrested on drug and illegal weapons charges at a downtown Denver hotel close to Coors Field, but the FBI says it has “no reason to believe” the suspects posed a threat to the upcoming Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
Three men and one woman in their 40s were arrested Friday night after a “report of a suspicious occurrence” at the Maven Hotel, located one block from Coors Field. Officers responding to a tip searched two rooms at the hotel, recovered evidence and impounded two vehicles.
But despite the close proximity to Coors Field and multiple other events held in conjunction with the All-Star Game, the FBI said Sunday in a statement that the suspects likely weren’t connected to terrorism.
“We have no reason to believe this incident was connected to terrorism or a threat directed at the All-Star Game,” the FBI said. “We are not aware of any threat to the All-Star Game events, venues, players or the community at this time.”
The Denver Police Department has not released details about the evidence, but local ABC affiliate Denver7, citing multiple law enforcement sources, reported Saturday that police discovered 16 long guns, body armor and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition from an eighth-floor hotel room that had a balcony overlooking Denver’s downtown area.
Police executed the search warrants for the rooms after receiving the tip from a maid at the hotel, according to multiple reports.
Richard Platt, 42, Gabriel Rodriguez, 48, and Ricardo Rodriguez, 44, all were arrested on the investigation of possession of a weapon by a previous offender. Platt and Gabriel Rodriguez also face charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Kanoelehua Serikawa, 43, was arrested on investigation of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
Platt and Serikawa also have warrants from another jurisdiction.
“The investigation and arrests were the result of a tip from the public, serving as an excellent example of the critical role the community plays in public safety,” the Denver Police Department said as part of a statement Saturday night. “DPD encourages residents and visitors to always be aware of their surroundings and to report suspicious or illegal activity to police immediately.”
Coors Field is set to host the All-Star Game on Tuesday night, but festivities connected with the midseason event began last week. The Maven Hotel is located on Wazee Street in downtown Denver within the city’s Ballpark District, which has hosted a street festival called “Stars & Stripes Streetfest” that started July 2.
A Maven Hotel spokeswoman told the Denver Post that hotel staff currently are not allowed to speak to the media because of the ongoing investigation, but the hotel released a statement Sunday praising its employees. The maid, according to multiple reports, notified hotel management when she saw the weapons, and hotel staff reached out to Denver police.
“We are incredibly proud that our team swiftly alerted the authorities in this instance,” Kelly Bajorek, director of corporate communications for Sage Hospitality Group, said in the statement obtained by the Post. “We are thankful to [the Denver Police Department] for their quick action to safely resolve this situation and will continue to work closely with them to support their investigation.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
