Denver police reassured the public Sunday that the Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be safe and secure after they announced the arrests of four people on gun charges in a downtown hotel near the baseball stadium.
Police made the arrests Friday after they got a report of suspicious activity at the Maven Hotel. There they arrested three men and a woman: Richard Platt, 42; Gabriel Rodriguez, 48; Ricardo Rodriguez, 44; and Kanoelehua Serikawa, 43. Most of the charges are felony weapons possession, police said, adding that some of the suspects were prohibited from owning firearms.
Police said they got search warrants for two rooms in the hotel, where they “recovered evidence” and impounded two vehicles to possibly use as evidence.
Police Chief Paul Pazen said Sunday that “there are parts of this investigation that we do not know” and that police are working with local and federal authorities. Police, who didn’t say how many guns were recovered, said at a news conference Sunday that officers found narcotics.
Mayor Michael Hancock lauded the “quick thinking of a concerned hotel employee” who tipped off police.
The FBI previously said it didn’t believe the incident was related to the All-Star Game, which will be played Tuesday just blocks from the hotel at Coors Field.
“We have no reason to believe this incident was connected to terrorism,” the department said. “We are not aware of any threat to the All-Star Game events, venues, players, or the community at this time.”
Hancock reiterated the message Sunday, reassuring people that it was safe to enjoy the city and the All-Star festivities.
Platt was the only suspect to appear in court Sunday, NBC affiliate KUSA of Denver reported. The judge set bail at $50,000, while the three other suspects await public defenders.
“We are incredibly proud that our team swiftly alerted the authorities in this instance,” Sage Hospitality, which owns the Maven Hotel, said in a statement. “We are thankful to DPD for their quick action to safely resolve this situation and will continue to work closely with them to support their investigation.”