Arrestee Who once Managed Alpine Motel Commences Incarceration Following 2019 Fatal Blaze

In a court hearing on an undisclosed date, Adolfo Orozco-Garcia, the former owner of the Alpine Motel in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada, began serving his prison sentence. The sentence was handed down by Clark County District Court Judge Jacqueline Bluth, who imposed a term of 19 to 48 months.

The Alpine Motel Apartments fire, which occurred on December 21, 2019, within Las Vegas city limits, remains the deadliest fire within the city to date. Six tenants lost their lives in the tragedy: Donald Keith Bennett, Tracy Ann Cihal, Francis Lombardo Jr., Cynthia Mikell, Kerry Marie Odo-Baclaan, and Henry Lawrence Pinc. Thirteen others were injured, and more than 50 people were left homeless as a result of the fire.

Orozco-Garcia entered an Alford plea to two counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of wanton disregard for safety resulting in substantial bodily harm or death. This plea allows a defendant to maintain their innocence while acknowledging that prosecutors have enough evidence to likely secure a conviction.

The Alpine Motel Apartments, built in 1972, had a history of failed fire inspections and numerous code enforcement complaints. Orozco-Garcia originally faced 27 charges in connection with the fire, but in January, he accepted a plea deal, avoiding a trial that was scheduled for February.

The Alpine Motel Apartments fire is not the deadliest fire-related disaster in the broader Las Vegas area. That tragic title belongs to the MGM Grand fire, which occurred on Friday, November 21, 1980, at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. The MGM Grand fire originated from a refrigerated pastry display case in a first-floor restaurant, claiming the lives of 85 people.

It is important to note that there is no publicly available information or credible sources identifying who set the fire on December 21, 2019, in the Alpine Motel apartment building in Las Vegas.

Under the sentence, Orozco-Garcia will be eligible for probation after serving 19 months. The maximum possible sentence for Orozco-Garcia is four years. Orozco-Garcia was granted 90 days to self-surrender, with the deadline falling on Tuesday. He acknowledged that, under the plea deal, he might serve a shorter sentence than if he had been found guilty at trial.

This tragic event serves as a reminder of the importance of adhering to safety regulations and the devastating consequences that can result from negligence. Our thoughts remain with the families and friends of those affected by the Alpine Motel Apartments fire.

Arrestee Who once Managed Alpine Motel Commences Incarceration Following 2019 Fatal Blaze