Recovery program leaves east Charlotte hotel where woman, baby found dead
The man running a substance abuse treatment program in an east Charlotte hotel where a woman and baby were found dead said he’s moving about 100 people to other locations, citing safety concerns.
On Monday afternoon, people were piling their belongings in the back of a moving truck outside the Baymont Inn during this week’s heat wave. They are participants in the Heal Empower Love Protect program run by Cedric Dean, who told The Charlotte Observer on Monday he was moving them.
“Drug dealers threatened to kill me,” he said. “They threatened to set me up.”
He said CMPD prevented him from removing drug dealers from the property and didn’t do enough to keep the area safe from gun violence and crime.
The hotel, at 5415 Equipment Drive, was previously the site of a transitional housing program run by the nonprofit Heal Charlotte, which received a city grant in 2023 for its program. But Heal Charlotte’s lease ended in April, and Dean took over that lease, moving in people for his program.
That has led to questions about the wellbeing of people who moved to the hotel before Dean took over. Dean has said he paid people living at the hotel through the Heal Charlotte program to move to other locations.
A woman and a 1-year-old baby, who were part of the Heal Charlotte program, were found dead on June 6 in a room at the hotel. Dean said he believed the woman had been dead for weeks.
Dean said people are now being moved into ten homes, most in Charlotte and two in Shelby.
People maneuvered around each other at the hotel Monday, taking turns loading their belongings in the truck. Some sat outside in chairs in the shade and watched as people loaded their bags, while others sat in the lobby near fans for reprieve from the heat.
While the program will now run out of the individual homes, Dean said he would be open to trying another hotel for his business.
“We couldn’t control the people coming on the property, selling drugs, moving drugs, stuff like that,” he said. “If we had a location that was isolated, then we could run our program.”
The HELP program, according to Dean, helps people recovering from addiction to drugs and alcohol, gambling, and sex. This is primarily achieved through the HELP Circle, according to a 31-page paperback book he wrote.
“Principal Mentors lead the HELP circles while Provisional Mentors and Mentees (Newcomers) participate with solution-centered-sharing about their battles and blessings in life,” the back cover says. “Circle members also align themselves with nonviolence and love.”
The owner of the hotel, Shawn Ahmad, declined an interview for this story and deferred to his attorney, Brooks Jaffa, who also declined to comment.
City Councilwoman Reneé Johnson, whose district includes the hotel, could not be reached for comment.
If you have lived at the Baymont hotel, The Charlotte Observer would like to hear from you. We will respect your confidentiality. Contact reporter Jeff A. Chamer at jchamer@charlotteobserver.com or (704) 358-5013.
This story was originally published June 24, 2025 at 10:40 AM.
