Adolfo Orozco purchased the building in 2013, and criminal charges were filed against him and associate Malinda Mier in July 2020, accusing them of involuntary manslaughter and negligence.
The Alpine Motel Apartments building is located on 0.16 acres, at 213 North Ninth Street in downtown Las Vegas.
[6] Orozco owned the Alpine and several small motels through his company, Las Vegas Dragon Hotel LLC.
[10][11][12] For several years prior to the fire, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department had tried to shut down the Alpine over drug and gang activity occurring on-site.
While our chronic nuisance ordinance allows action for repeated criminal activity, evidence must be presented and the property owner must have an opportunity to remedy the situation".
The last annual fire inspection took place in April 2017, and the case was referred to a team focusing on the safety of low-income apartment complexes.
[29] The two-alarm fire began on the morning of December 21, 2019, originating from a kitchen stove in apartment unit 8 on the first floor.
He had left the unit for approximately 20 minutes to withdraw money from a nearby ATM, and the fire had already begun upon his return.
[34][35][36] A door leading to the rooftop had been bolted shut, preventing an escape for some upper-floor residents who were fleeing from smoke.
[41] The first-floor hallway included several old refrigerators and a vending machine, partially obstructing the escape route for residents.
[2] The MGM Grand fire (1980) killed 87 people, but it occurred on the Las Vegas Strip, which is outside of city limits.
[18] Orozco had lived a private life up to the time of the fire,[6] and he never spoke to the media about the incident,[23] although his attorney said, "On a personal level, he's taking it pretty hard".
[48] The Nevada state fire marshal launched an investigation into possible code violations at the building,[7] probing each room.
[19] A criminal investigation by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department was also underway,[49] and Orozco hired an attorney to defend him against any potential charges.
An engineer with the National Fire Protection Association was present during the inspection and considered the list of violations to be among the worst in his career, saying it was fortunate that only six people died.
[51] One week later, investigators seized a computer and paperwork from the manager's office, as well as other items from the apartment of the maintenance man who died.
[8][54] Orozco also faced four charges over attempts to dissuade witnesses – live-in property manager Jason Casteel and his fiancé – from cooperating with the investigation.
[58] However, it ran unusually long due to the complexity of the case and because of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects in the state, causing a disruption in the court schedule.
[23] In late 2020, defense investigator Don Dibble declined to answer questions about an interview he had conducted with Mier "in which she essentially confessed to her involvement in the crimes charged".
A judge declined to dismiss the charges in November 2023, stating they were based on Orozco's failure to maintain a safe structure.
[61] In November 2021, Orozco's attorneys filed a lawsuit against several entities and individuals, alleging them to be more directly responsible for the fire.
Among the defendants was EDS and the city of Las Vegas, with the suit stating that they never informed Orozco of the activated alarm system.
The suit also named the resident whose stove started the fire, alleging that he never informed Alpine management of problems with his heater.
The suit stated that the resident "knew or reasonably should have known that he had highly flammable materials on or in close proximity to the stove and/or oven at the time he left Unit 108".
It named nearly 20 defendants, including Orozco, his wife, and companies involved with the Alpine Motel's fire alarm system.
[83] While police and fire crews collected evidence from the property, former residents were upset at having to wait months to retrieve their belongings.
[15][96][97] In February 2020, the Las Vegas city planning department proposed the Multifamily Residential Rental Registry and Inspection Program.
It would mandate building inspections every five years and require the registration of 64,000 multifamily residential units, including hotels, motels, and fourplexes.
[83][98] In September 2020, the city passed reforms for increased inspections and fines at apartment properties with poor living conditions.
[3][99][100] A city program was eventually passed in April 2021, requiring inspections at least once a year on apartment properties built prior to 1981.