DNC guest who died lost consciousness at strip club
By Alan Gathright, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published September 4, 2008 at 5:13 p.m.
Updated September 4, 2008 at 5:13 p.m.
A California tribal leader fell to the ground and lost consciousness during a physical confrontation with three Denver strip club security guards and died two days later, police said today.
Gabriel Pico, 41, had attended the Democratic National Convention as a guest days before the 1:45 a.m. Saturday confrontation outside the Diamond Cabaret, 1222 Glenarm Place. He was taken by ambulance to Denver Health Medical Center, where he died two days later.
An initial police report characterized the clash as felony aggravated assault and described the unnamed security guards as "suspects" who used "bodily force" against Pico.
"The investigation revealed that the victim and the ... suspects were involved in a physical altercation," the police report said. "During the altercation the victim fell on the ground and lost consciousness."
Officials declined to comment today at the Diamond Cabaret's parent company, Lakewood-based VCG Holding Corp. The publicly traded company owns 20 strip clubs nationwide, including five in metro Denver and one in Colorado Springs.
No one has been charged in the case.
Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson stressed that investigators won't know whether Pico was killed by injuries during the scuffle or by some unrelated health problem until the coroner completes additional medical tests. This includes toxicology and tissue analysis that will take weeks to complete, according to the coroner's office.
"There was a confrontation — that we know," Jackson said. "But was that the cause of death? That we don't know."
"The autopsy is a key point that we need to tell us exactly what did happen," he added. "The body can tell us a lot things."
Jackson did not know what fueled the argument, which occurred as the strip club's closing time. It was unclear if Pico had been inside the club earlier, but the police report said the 5-foot-8, 300-pound man had "consumed alcohol."
The Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians in Southern California issued a statement Tuesday saying Pico "suffered a heart attack early Saturday morning in Denver following the Democratic National Convention." But coroner's officials have made not ruling on the cause and manner of death.
Pico was elected in July to the Pechanga Tribal Council. It sets policy and administers governmental programs for the tribe, which runs the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, Calif.
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September 4, 2008
7:54 p.m.
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mover2 writes:
MAYBE HEART ATTACK????
September 4, 2008
8:24 p.m.
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windskull writes:
Watch for toxicology results around election day, particularly if lab analysis reveals even a microscopic trace of illicit substances well documented as commonly contaminating all denominations of currency with the highest concentrations coincidentally(!?!) associated with $1,$20 & $100 bills!
September 4, 2008
9:38 p.m.
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RBN writes:
It was drugs or that a 41 year old was fighting 3 meat heads that roid up and work with naked-can't-touch women all day...he was beat to death.
September 4, 2008
10:11 p.m.
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Cabermon writes:
Mama, don't let your babies grow up to be Democrats.
September 5, 2008
2:18 a.m.
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NDN writes:
To Amaranth are you kidding me. You blame the men that go to the bar to watch you strip. You know the men will be drinking and of course in order to make your great tips you do what it takes to make them happy. So why do you get naked for these so called drunks and or crazy people. Maybe if this was a family member of yours, your comment would not be "beat him a little to hard" a man died and you don't have all the information. Don't forget there were witnesses. Oh maybe your fine bouncers friends will find them and make sure they cant ever talk again to.
September 5, 2008
8:55 a.m.
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blacksho89 writes:
Don't touch the girls!
September 5, 2008
10:28 a.m.
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ccv303 writes:
The only death during the DNC convention, thanks VCG
September 5, 2008
11:44 a.m.
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NDN writes:
this is ndn cousin. amarath all these people you call crazy and drunks just who do you think pays for your cost of living and you hit it on the nail the bouncers there beat him if it was a little to hard he would be here with us now so don't say a little to hard they knew exactly what they where doing and I pray God forgives you.
September 5, 2008
3:01 p.m.
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NDN writes:
Thank you Amaranth. I understand the truth is a bit more sordid. the truth is he was murdered. Facts will come out.
September 8, 2008
9:49 p.m.
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jonjcolorado writes:
I heard the story was more sordid too, the bouncers did not cause his death but were breaking up an altercation between him and other guys. Sorry he passed away and in his respect I will not comment on this anymore.