Selvin Yovani Lara-Reyes

On the evening of March 31, 2021, Selvin Yovani Lara-Reyes was hosting a cookout for family and friends at his apartment in Charlotte, North Carolina. Mr. Lara-Reyes was a 29-year-old Hispanic male. The gathering took a tragic turn following a dispute with a neighbor.

Earlier that evening, police had been called to the apartment complex on Oak Meadow Court regarding gunshots but left without incident. Around 9:45 p.m., the neighbor, Andy Garcia, returned with several acquaintances to confront Mr. Lara-Reyes again. While Mr. Lara-Reyes was on his back porch, the men began firing at him. He attempted to run inside his apartment for safety, but Garcia followed him into the home and continued to shoot before fleeing on foot. Mr. Lara-Reyes was struck four times, including twice in the back. He collapsed inside his apartment from a fatal back wound and was pronounced dead at the scene.

During the shooting, a 7-year-old boy who was inside the apartment was struck by a bullet in the hand. The child was transported to a hospital for treatment of injuries that were not life-threatening.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department homicide detectives quickly identified two suspects in the killing. On April 1, 2021, the day after the shooting, police arrested 19-year-old Andy Jonathan Garcia. They also arrested 18-year-old Mario Alexander Monroy following an interview with detectives. Both men were charged with murder, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, and felony breaking and entering.

In July 2026, Andy Garcia, then 24, stood trial for the murder. A Mecklenburg County jury found him guilty of first-degree murder. A judge subsequently sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole. As of July 2026, one of the men responsible for the death of Selvin Yovani Lara-Reyes has been brought to justice.