Houston police said an intoxicated and belligerent man at a downtown hotel where a New Year's Eve party is scheduled has been arrested for unlawfully carrying a weapon and trespassing after they found several guns and ammunition in his room. Police added that they don't believe he intended to use the weapons.
Police said hotel security officers confronted the unruly man early Sunday at the bar at Houston's Hyatt Regency Hotel and called for assistance when he refused to be subdued.
Lt. Gordon Macintosh said other officers arrived to take him into custody and found an AR-15 rifle, shotgun and handgun in his room, plus ammunition. They also found other weapons in his pickup truck.
The man, who has not been identified, was arrested for unlawfully carrying a weapon and trespassing.
Police spokesman Victor Senties said the man later told investigators he'd brought the guns into his room from his truck because he didn't want them to get stolen. He said his truck was parked in the hotel garage.
Officials added that the man said he recently had domestic relations problems and had to remove his belongings from his residence, including his guns, which were not loaded in the hotel room.
Senties said investigators don't believe the man intended "to use the weapons or to cause any kind of issue."
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The Hyatt's Sunday night celebration spans four floors and includes live performances and a 50,000 balloon drop at midnight, according to its website. The hotel's annual party is one of the city's largest New Year's Eve celebrations.
