Man accused of fatally shooting 2 at former Lamplighter Hotel arrested in Florida
A man accused of fatally shooting two men on Thursday at a condemned northwest Charlotte hotel was arrested in Florida, police said.
Alvaro Luis Ozuna-Sierra, 38, was arrested in Port St. Lucie by the local police department on Oct. 3, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said in a press release.
He is a suspect in the fatal shooting of Pankaj Kiritbhai Patel, 54, and Anilkumar Somabhai Patel, 54, at the Lamplighter Inn at 4425 Eddleman Road, CMPD said. Police did not release details of what they believe led to the shooting.
A Charlotte Observer investigation published in July 2024 found tenants — many of whom were homeless — lived in poor conditions at the hotel after a nonprofit housing program that advertised housing search assistance backed out. Local nonprofits eventually moved tenants out and the Charlotte Fire Department condemned and boarded up the building in December.
St. Lucie County court records show Ozuna-Sierra was charged with being an out of state fugitive. CMPD said homicide detectives traveled to Florida to interview Ozuna-Sierra.
A Port St. Lucie police press release said the department was told Ozuna-Sierra, wanted on two counts of first-degree murder, was driving a black Nissan Altima in the area.
An incident report from the department said police received notification from a license plate camera about a stolen vehicle from North Carolina. .
Ozuna-Sierra, who is from Gastonia, was the only person in the vehicle when officers pulled him over.
Police had his car towed and took his phone, ammunition and $577 in cash during the arrest, the press release said.
Ozuna-Sierra was being held at the St. Lucie County jail and waiting for extradition to North Carolina, police said.
This story was originally published October 6, 2025 at 11:48 AM.
