Published on: August 27, 2025, 05:02h.
Updated on: August 27, 2025, 05:02h.
Adolfo Orozco-Garcia reported to prison on Tuesday to start his sentence connected to the most lethal fire ever recorded within the Las Vegas city boundaries.
Orozco-Garcia, aged 49, previously owned the Alpine Motel, the site of the tragic fire on December 21, 2019, that resulted in the deaths of six people: Donald Keith Bennett, 63; Tracy Ann Cihal, 57; Francis Lombardo Jr., 72; Cynthia Mikell, 61; Henry Lawrence Pinc, 70; and Kerry Marie Odo-Baclaan, 46.
This catastrophic fire ignited due to a stove that was left on for heat—an unfortunate choice made by a tenant because the building lacked an operational heating system. Additionally, the incident injured 13 others and left more than 50 residents displaced.
Prosecutors contended that Orozco-Garcia neglected essential safety protocols. The property was also devoid of working fire alarms and sprinkler systems, and its escape routes were blocked.
With 27 criminal charges previously filed against him and a trial set for February, Orozco-Garcia opted for an Alford plea on January 17, meaning he did not admit to guilt but accepted the likelihood of conviction based on the evidence. He pleaded guilty to two counts of voluntary manslaughter and one count of gross negligence leading to severe injury or death.
In June, Judge Jacqueline Bluth from the Clark County District Court sentenced Orozco-Garcia to 48 months in prison, allowing for probation after 19 months. She provided a 90-day extension for him to report to prison, which ended on Tuesday.
Understanding the Context
You might wonder why the Alpine Motel’s incident is recorded as the deadliest fire in Las Vegas history. This is because the original MGM Grand, which experienced a fire on November 21, 1980, resulting in 87 casualties, and the Westgate, where a fire in its previous incarnation as the Las Vegas Hilton led to eight deaths on February 19, 1981, are situated in unincorporated Paradise, Nevada, not within the city limits of Las Vegas.
The Alpine Motel has since undergone transformation and is now known as the DLUX Lofts, a contemporary apartment complex aimed at young professionals, creatives, and remote workers.