Police found more than a dozen guns, a high-capacity magazine and a large amount of methamphetamine and heroin inside two hotel rooms one block from Coors Field on Friday, court documents show.
While cleaning a room at The Maven hotel Friday evening, a housekeeper saw a rifle, numerous metal objects that appeared to be possible firearm components and pictures of guns, and reported the discovery to hotel staff, according to the documents released Monday.
Police later found a ballistic vest and a duty belt inside a white Mercedes parked in the hotel garage. The car, which had Idaho license plates, was associated with the room’s guest, later identified as Ricardo Rodriguez, 44, the affidavit said. Officers also saw at least one high-capacity magazine in the car.
Ricardo Rodriguez was supposed to check out on Saturday, but asked to stay for several more days and made a reservation for another room with a balcony that overlooked an alley, police said.
He and three others were arrested on charges including possession of a weapon by a previous offender and possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute.
Denver police said they found the firearms and accessories in close proximity to Coors Field, days before the All-Star Game, to be concerning, the affidavit said.
“There is a propensity for mass-casualty incidents in scenarios such as the above where many people are gathered together in a small area for a single event,” the police wrote in the affidavit. The FBI, however, later said they didn’t believe there was any threat to the All-Star Game or visitors.
In an interview with CBS4, Ricardo Rodriguez also said there was no plot to shoot people at the All-Star Game. He claimed most of the guns belonged to Richard Platt, 42, one of the two other men arrested.
Police gave the following account of what happened Friday evening:
At about 7:40 p.m., officers began surveilling the hotel room and arrested 48-year-old Gabriel Rodriguez, who was carrying a large black backpack that police said contained a 9mm KelTec semi-automatic handgun loaded with seven bullets in the magazine.
A large amount of suspected methamphetamine was found in a zip-close bag in the backpack. A black glove also in the backpack contained what police believed was heroin.
Police also found $1,120 in cash.
An officer said he believed Gabriel Rodriguez to be involved in illicit drug sales and had weapons to protect himself. He was arrested on suspicion of possession of a weapon by a previous offender and possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute, police said.
Police also arrested:
- Platt, who is being investigated for possession of a weapon by a previous offender and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Court documents stated he had been found guilty of possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute and theft, both stemming from Boulder County in 2017. He was also wanted on a warrant from Douglas County
- Ricardo Rodriguez, who is being investigated for possession of a weapon by a previous offender
- Kanoelehua Serikawa, 43, who is being investigated for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Serikawa was also wanted on a warrant from Longmont
While police approached one of the hotel rooms, Platt fled to the building’s basement, police said. Serikawa was ordered to leave the room, where police found 12 weapons and a large amount of suspected ecstasy pills, the affidavit stated.
All four are being held at Denver’s Downtown Detention Center. They were due in court on Monday. Police did not say where they were from.