LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The criminal case against former Alpine Motel apartments owner Adolfo Orozco continued Tuesday afternoon.
The preliminary hearing was put on pause Monday after the state filed a second amended criminal complaint.
On Tuesday, the defense called in former Alpine motel live-in manager Jason Casteel and his partner Christina Farinella, who also lived at the property. Both had testified in 2020 but the criminal case was stalled for more than two years when a key investigator from the defense declined to testify.
Farinella took the stand first Tuesday. She recalled meeting with Orozco and Casteel at the Starlite Motel, a property Orozco also owns, on the night of the fire.
The Starlite Motel was where Alpine Motel co-owner Malinda Mier was staying, according to testimony.
During testimony, Farinella recalled Orozco telling them “not to say anything until we got our stories straight.”
However, Orozco’s defense presented text message exchanges between Farinella and Mier from June 2019 when the two were apparently discussing Orozco offering Farinella a housekeeping job in Shreveport, Louisiana, where Orozco owned another property.
The defense argued the night of the fire wasn’t the first time Farinella was given an offer to leave town.
Casteel was then called in by the state under cross examination. His testimony mostly mirrored Farinella’s saying he remembers a similar offer being made to him.
“I took it as he didn’t want me to be anywhere near Vegas,” Casteel said.
Casteel and Farinella were also asked about a yellow “Rumblee” pickup truck. According to past testimony, this truck belongs with Orozco and apartment maintenance often used it as well.
During a preliminary hearing last month, Orozco’s current employee had testified buying the truck from Orozco and driving it to Louisiana before the fire happened.
Casteel and Farinella testified they saw the truck in early 2021 near the corner of Pecos and Desert Inn.
“It looked like the same truck that had followed us at the other house,” Casteel told the court. “When the truck was passing me by, it slowed and stared at me.”
Casteel had taken four pictures of the truck in February 2021.
The defense rested its case Tuesday. The prosecution is expected to present its case on May 1.
Orozco is facing several felony charges including involuntary manslaughter. The fire killed six people and injured more than a dozen others.
