July 11 (UPI) — Four people were arrested after a housekeeper tipped off authorities to more than a dozen weapons and 1,000 rounds of ammunition stored at a hotel room in Denver.
Police removed 16 long guns, body armor and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition from a hotel room on the eighth floor of the Maven Hotel near Coors Field, which is set to host the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, The Denver Channel reported.
Based on the information provided by the hotel employee on Friday, police executed a search warrant and found a man inside the room which featured a balcony overlooking the downtown Denver area along with the weapons.
The suspects were identified as 42-year-old Richard Platt and Gabriel Rodriguez, 48, who are both facing investigation for possession of weapons by a previous offender and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
Ricardo Rodriguez, 44, is being investigated for possession of a weapon by a previous offender and Kanoelehua Serikawa, 43, is being investigated for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
Platt and Serikawa were both also wanted on warrants from other jurisdictions.
“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. “DPD encourages residents and visitors to always be aware of their surroundings and to report suspicious or illegal activity to police immediately.”
Law enforcement said one of the suspects had posted a message to Facebook saying he was planning to “go out in a big way” following a recent divorce.
Authorities said they feared a “Las Vegas-style shooting,” referring to the 2017 incident in which a gunman on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas opened fire on a crowd attending a country music festival outside, killing 58 people and injuring hundreds of others.
The FBI on Sunday said it had “no reason to believe this incident was connected to terrorism or a threat directed at the All-Star Game,” in a news release Sunday.
“We are not aware of any threat to the All-Star Game events, venues, players or the community at this time,” the agency said.
The MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is set to be held at Coors Field on Monday, followed by the All-Star Game on Tuesday.
