Christopher Saneth Rosa Castellanos

Christopher Saneth Rosa Castellanos, a 25-year-old Hispanic man described by his family as happy and honest, was working hard to build a life in North Carolina. Originally from Honduras, he had a construction job in the Charlotte area and was sending money home to support his mother, who was battling colon cancer. His family said he was a dedicated son and a kind person.

In the early morning of December 9, 2024, around 6:00 a.m., a confrontation erupted in the parking lot of an apartment complex on Archdale Drive in Charlotte. According to court documents, Christopher and his cousin saw two people breaking into his car. His cousin managed to detain one of the individuals. Christopher, who was carrying a rifle, went to help his cousin, but the suspect who had been detained pulled out a gun and shot him multiple times. Emergency responders arrived, but Christopher was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department launched a homicide investigation. Detectives spent hours at the complex, where one witness reported hearing about eight gunshots and seeing the shooter flee. Police asked the public for any information or camera footage that could help identify those responsible.

Two days later, police arrested two suspects in connection with the killing. Dagoberto Zelaya, 18, was charged with murder. A second suspect, 17-year-old Elliot Adams, was also arrested and charged with murder, breaking and entering a motor vehicle, and larceny of a motor vehicle. After the arrests were made, Christopher's family members expressed a sense of peace. They started a fundraiser in the hopes of fulfilling his mother's wish to have his body brought back to Honduras for burial. As of December 2024, the case against both suspects was moving forward in the court system.