Denver suspect arrested near MLB stadium asked to extend hotel stay and move to balcony room, police say



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One of four suspects arrested last week at a Denver hotel near a Major League Baseball stadium scheduled to host this week’s All-Star Game has asked to extend his stay and move to a room with balcony before being found with several weapons, police documents mentioned.

The four men were arrested on Friday after a maid at the Maven Hotel saw guns and gun items inside a room and notified a supervisor, said authorities. The hotel is near Coors Field, which will host Tuesday night’s annual All-Star Game after the event was moved from Atlanta earlier this year due to Georgia’s voting rights law.

Hotel employees searched for the vehicle associated with the room tenant and found a Mercedes with an Idaho license plate. A bulletproof vest and seat belt were visible from the outside, according to a probable cause statement from police.

Officials said the person who rented one of the rooms, Ricardo Rodriguez, had asked to extend his stay for several days and be moved to a room with a balcony facing an alleyway, police said.

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A vehicle sits in the cargo area outside the Maven Hotel on Sunday, July 11, 2021, in lower downtown Denver.  Authorities said four people were arrested for drug and arms trafficking after a "reporting of a suspicious event" at the downtown Denver hotel, located near Coors Field, the site of the 2021 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.  Denver Police said officers responding to a tip searched two rooms in the hotel on Friday night.  (AP Photo / David Zalubowski)

A vehicle sits in the cargo area outside the Maven Hotel on Sunday, July 11, 2021, in lower downtown Denver. Authorities said four people were arrested on drug and weapons smuggling charges after a “suspicious incident report” at the downtown Denver hotel, located near Coors Field, the site of the game. Major League Baseball 2021 Stars. Denver Police said officers responding to a tip searched two rooms in the hotel on Friday night. (AP Photo / David Zalubowski)

“It should be noted that this information was for officers due to the location of the rifle, ballistic vest, duty belt and the request for a room with a balcony, as well as the events of the match of the Major League Baseball 2021 stars are in the immediate vicinity of the hotel, ”the police statement said. “There is a propensity for mass casualty incidents in scenarios like the one above, where many people are gathered in a small area for a single event. “

Denver police initially feared a “Las Vegas-style” shooting was in the works, referring to the 2017 mass shooting that left 60 people dead near a Vegas hotel.

The suspects have been identified as Rodriguez, 44; Richard Platt, 42; and Gabriel Rodriguez, 48 years old. They were taken into custody as part of an investigation into allegations of possession of a weapon by a former offender, police said. Kanoelehua Serikawa, 43, is under investigation over possible charges of possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute it.

Authorities said Ricardo Rodrguez was the leader of the group.

Gabriel Rodriguez, Platt and Serikawa received bonds of $ 50,000 in cash only. Ricardo Rodriguez received a bond of $ 75,000 in cash only.

“The specific allegations… are very, very worrying for this court,” Denver County Court Judge Tanja Wheeler said, The Denver Post reported. “The presence of a high, high number of weapons and ammunition and in a densely populated part of the city, in particular.”

On Sunday, the FBI said there was no indication the four men posed a threat or were linked to terrorism. However, a search of their rooms revealed several guns and drugs, police said.

Gabriel Rodriguez, 48 years old;  Ricardo Rodriguez, 44 years old;  Richard Platt, 42;  and Kanoelehua Serikawa, 43.  The four men were arrested on Friday after a cleaning lady at a hotel near Coors Field spotted guns and gun components in one of their rooms.

Gabriel Rodriguez, 48 years old; Ricardo Rodriguez, 44 years old; Richard Platt, 42; and Kanoelehua Serikawa, 43. The four men were arrested on Friday after a cleaning lady inside a hotel near Coors Field spotted guns and gun components in one of their rooms.

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During the surveillance of the hotel, officers saw Gabriel Rodriguez with a backpack containing a semi-automatic handgun loaded with a destroyed serial number, heroin, methamphetamine and $ 1,120 in cash, according to his arrest affidavit.

Platt was arrested on his way to the hotel basement. It turned out he had a pending warrant. His words to officers have been redacted.

While awaiting a search warrant, the police ordered Kanoelehua Serikawa out of her room and arrested her. Inside the room, Platt and Serikawa gained access to the police and discovered what they say was a large amount of ecstasy pills as well as heroin. There was also a large sum of money and 12 guns.

In a prison interview with CBS Denver, Ricardo Rodriguez said he was not aware of any plans for a mass shooting and that he and the other suspects intended to trade and sell firearms. in hotel rooms. He said he designed guns and then donated them to military veterans.

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