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Weapons Cache Found By Housekeeper At Hotel Overlooking Coors Field During MLB All-Star Week
Richard Platt, Gabriel Rodriguez, Ricardo Rodriguez and Kanoelehua Serikawa were arrested after upwards of 1,000 rounds of ammunition and more than a dozen weapons were found at Denver’s Maven Hotel, authorities say.
A Denver maid found a stash of multiple guns and ammunition in a hotel room near the site of the upcoming MLB All-Star game
Four people were arrested after a housekeeper found more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, body armor, and 16 firearms at Maven Hotel near Coors Field, according to Denver police. The upscale hotel is footsteps from the pro baseball stadium, which is hosting the Midsummer Classic this week.
Initially, police, who feared the bust was connected to a possible mass shooting at Coors Field, said the maid's discovery may have averted a "Las Vegas-style shooting," the Denver Post reported. Local and federal investigators have since suggested the arrests weren't related to a possible terror incident but were part of a suspected gun and drug deal.
On July 9, Denver police responded to Maven Hotel in the city’s LoDo district after hotel staff tipped off authorities to a “suspicious occurrence.” The weapons cache was allegedly found in a room on the eighth floor.
Richard Platt, 42, Gabriel Rodriguez, 48, Ricardo Rodriguez, 44, and Kanoelehua Serikawa, 43, were subsequently taken into police custody on Friday after officers executed search warrants for two rooms, according to a press release.
All four were charged with possession of a weapon by a previous offender. Platt, Gabriel Rodriguez, and Serikawa were also charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Methamphetamine, heroin, ecstasy, and cash were also seized in the bust, according to a probable cause statement obtained by Oxygen.com. Platt and Serikawa had past warrants for other jurisdictions at the time of their arrest. Two vehicles were also impounded by investigators.
“The investigation and arrests were the results of a tip from the public, serving as an excellent example of the critical role the community plays in public safety,” police said in a statement sent to Oxygen.com.
A spokesperson for the hotel group that operates Maven Hotel at Dairy Block also applauded the housekeeper.
“We are incredibly proud that our team swiftly alerted the authorities in this instance. We are thankful to Denver Police for their quick action to safely resolve this situation and will continue to work closely with them to support their investigation,” Kelly Bajorek, director of corporate communications and public relations for Sage Hospitality Group, which operates the Maven Hotel at Dairy Block, told Oxygen.com in a statement on Monday.
On Friday, one of the accused allegedly posted an ominous message to social media shortly before the disturbing discovery, vowing he would “go out in a big way.”
Police declined to release additional information and the investigation remains open and active.
Platt, Gabriel Rodriguez, Ricardo Rodriguez, and Serikawa were expected to make court appearances on Monday.
However, federal investigators didn’t appear convinced the arrests were connected to the MLB All-Star game. The Denver bureau of the FBI since released a statement regarding the incident, stating they’d found “no reason to believe this incident was connected to terrorism or a threat directed at the All-Star Game.”
The MLB All-Star Game is scheduled to go ahead on Tuesday.
Anyone with information related to the suspected incident is asked to contact Denver Metro Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867).
