The Louisiana lady accused of theft and fraud in reference to the demise of a Tremendous Bowl reporter close to New Orleans final month can even be charged with second-degree homicide, authorities mentioned Tuesday.

Danette Colbert, 48, was booked on the cost Tuesday morning within the Jefferson Parish jail, Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley instructed reporters.

A preliminary post-mortem listed the reason for demise for Adan Manzano, 27, because the mixed poisonous results of alprazolam, an anti-anxiety drug typically bought beneath the model title Xanax, and ethanol, Jefferson Parish Coroner Gerald Cvitanovich mentioned at a information convention.

“Positional asphyxia” was a contributing issue, he mentioned. When Manzano was discovered lifeless in a resort room on Feb. 5 in Kenner, west of New Orleans, he was face down in a pillow, Cvitanovich mentioned.

Manzano’s method of demise was listed as undetermined, he mentioned.

Colbert has been accused in a number of different fraud circumstances, a few of which included allegations of drugging. Citing an ongoing investigation into Manzano’s demise, Conley declined to supply extra particulars concerning the homicide cost. It stays unclear who supplied Manzano with the alprazolam present in his system, which Cvitanovich described as “not an insignificant quantity.”

Colbert’s lawyer didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark Tuesday. He has mentioned she shouldn’t be judged on her legal historical past.

Throughout a bond listening to final month, a Kenner police investigator mentioned Manzano didn’t have a prescription for the drug, which was additionally present in Colbert’s residence.

Manzano’s blood alcohol degree was discovered to be thrice the authorized restrict, Cvitanovich mentioned. When alcohol is mixed with alprazolam, additionally a central nervous system depressant, the consequence will be “actually dangerous,” he mentioned.

“One of many risks,” he mentioned, is “you wind up able the place you’re obstructing your potential to breathe.”

Authorities additionally introduced the arrest of a second particular person in reference to Manzano’s demise. Ricky White, whom Conley described as a transient, was taken into custody in Florida on expenses of theft, unlawful transmission of financial funds, laptop fraud and financial institution fraud and is awaiting extradition, Conley mentioned.

It was not instantly clear whether or not he has a lawyer to talk on his behalf.

Colbert has been in custody with out bond since she was arrested Feb. 7, two days after Manzano was discovered lifeless in his resort room. Manzano, a reporter for Telemundo based mostly in Kansas Metropolis, Missouri, was final seen coming into his resort room with Colbert on the morning of Feb. 5, authorities have mentioned. His physique was found later that day.

Investigators discovered what they imagine is Manzano’s cellphone at Colbert’s residence, mentioned Kenner Deputy Police Chief Mark McCormick, who mentioned she is also alleged to have used his bank card at a New Orleans-area retailer.

She was charged final month with financial institution fraud, laptop fraud, theft, unlawful transmission of financial funds and purse snatching, court docket data present.

Colbert was beforehand charged in a minimum of 5 fraud and theft circumstances in two states. Since her arrest in Manzano’s demise was introduced final month, authorities in Kenner have fielded a dozen inquiries from individuals who imagine they or family members have been victims of Colbert’s, McCormick has mentioned.

In a single case, a person instructed NBC Information he had been having a drink together with her at a French Quarter bar when he grew to become disoriented and Colbert shuttled him right into a ready SUV.

When he awoke hours later in a close-by residence he was engaged on, his cellphone was lacking and $80,000 in financial savings had vanished from his cryptocurrency account, he mentioned.  

Colbert was convicted in that case and given 5 years’ probation — a sentence the Louisiana legal professional common not too long ago described as improper due to her legal historical past.

She beforehand pleaded responsible in two different Louisiana circumstances, serving probation in a single and jail time in one other. Costs in two Las Vegas circumstances have been dropped when the victims mentioned they didn’t wish to testify in court docket, Colbert’s legal professional in these circumstances instructed The Related Press.

Two different males instructed NBC Information that they imagine Colbert was behind a French Quarter Uber rip-off that led to the thefts of their telephones and hundreds of {dollars} linked to accounts on their gadgets. Each males mentioned they reported their allegations to New Orleans police in 2021, on the time of the alleged crimes, however no arrests have been made.

Colbert has not been recognized as a suspect in both case. A spokesperson has mentioned that the police division investigates each case filed with it and that detectives are inspecting “any and all” circumstances that may very well be linked to Colbert.

Authorities additionally suspect Colbert had an element within the Dec. 15 demise of John Jenkins, 55, who was discovered unresponsive in a New Orleans resort, McCormick mentioned.

Jenkins’ demise was dominated unintended, attributed to cocaine and ethanol toxicity. McCormick didn’t present particulars about what function authorities imagine Colbert performed in his demise.

State Police and New Orleans police, that are helping within the investigation, have mentioned they weren’t in a position to talk about any of the main points concerned within the investigation.