NEW ORLEANS — A 27-year-old sports reporter from Kansas City died in Kenner Wednesday evening, police confirmed Thursday.
Adan Manzano was in the city to cover the Super Bowl for Telemundo Kansas City and Tico Sports. Telemundo released a statement on Facebook, calling Manzano “a true professional and a rising star.”
WWL Louisiana spoke with Steve Downing, the station’s General Manager. Downing said Manzano worked at Telemundo for 3 years and had recently begun anchoring in addition to his duties as a reporter. He said Manzano had a “passion” for sports, and “that passion led him to do great work, and always with a smile, enthusiastic and very well loved and appreciated by the sports teams that he covered here.”
He said Manzano’s death has hit Telemundo KC’s tight-knit newsroom hard. “We’re a small operation,” said Downing, “so we will be missing a family member.”
The Kenner Police Department is investigating his death. A spokesperson told WWL Louisiana first responders were contacted by hotel staff around 5 p.m. Wednesday after finding Manzano. No cause of death has been announced, but the spokesman said there are no signs of trauma. The Jefferson Parish Coroner’s Office will conduct an autopsy.
Local outlets report Manzano’s wife was killed in a car accident in Topeka in April. The couple leaves behind a 2-year-old daughter.
The station plans to honor Manzano in its newscasts. Downing said his colleagues will focus on “remembering all the light that he brought to our team.”
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.