Judge refuses to dismiss manslaughter charges against former Alpine Motel owner

A Las Vegas judge has refused to dismiss involuntary manslaughter charges against the former owner of the Alpine Motel Apartments, the site of a 2019 fatal fire that left six dead.

Adolfo Orozco’s defense attorney filed a petition in June asking District Judge Jacqueline Bluth to throw out the involuntary manslaughter charges Orozco faces in connection with the Dec. 21, 2019 fire, which also injured 13 people and left dozens without shelter.

Orozco, who is also identified in court documents as Adolfo Orozco-Garcia, has pleaded not guilty to six counts of involuntary manslaughter and 21 counts of disregarding the safety of a person resulting in death or substantial bodily harm.

Bluth denied the petition in an order filed Monday, ruling that an involuntary manslaughter charge can be based on a “failure to act.”

“Stated more succinctly, if a legal duty exists, a failure to abide by that duty, is an unlawful act,” Bluth wrote in the order.

Orozco’s defense attorney, Dominic Gentile, said Tuesday that he could not appeal the ruling before trial. He declined to comment further on the judge’s order.

Gentile argued during a court hearing in August that the case marked the first time prosecutors in Nevada brought homicide charges against someone in connection with an accidental fire, and warned that the case could cause insurance rate increases for landlords.

Prosecutors have accused Orozco of acting like a “slumlord,” failing to properly maintain the building and ignoring issues with the fire alarm system and broken back door, which was bolted shut during the fire.

The Review-Journal obtained records showing that inspectors found 42 fire code violations in the building, including the locked door, missing or defective smoke detectors, and lack of a functioning sprinkler system.

Orozco remains free on bail. A jury trial in the case is scheduled for May, although Gentile said he expects the trial to be delayed.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240.