The homicide case centers on a March 10 welfare check at Peppertree Apartments and a murder charge filed the next day.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — What began as a welfare check at an east Charlotte apartment complex turned into a homicide investigation this week after officers found 26-year-old Evelin Carolina Enamorado-Cisnado dead and arrested a 23-year-old woman on a murder charge the next day.
Police identified the victim on Friday, adding a name and age to a case that had moved quickly but revealed only limited details in public. The suspect, Lhis Brito Costa, was charged with first-degree murder after officers responded Tuesday afternoon to Peppertree Apartments near Central Avenue and Kilborne Drive. Court records cited by local media added a possible relationship angle to the case, while neighbors described a sudden police presence in a complex where many residents said they had no warning that anything was wrong.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said officers were sent to the apartment complex around 4:30 p.m. on March 10 for a welfare check. Inside, they found a woman with life-threatening injuries. She later died, and homicide detectives opened an investigation. At that point, police did not identify the woman and did not explain how she was injured. By March 11, Brito Costa had been arrested and charged. Early coverage described the victim as a Jane Doe while authorities worked through identification. That sequence mattered because it showed how quickly the criminal case moved even as core details about the victim, the suspect’s connection to her and the timeline inside the apartment were still being sorted out by investigators.
By Friday, the victim had been identified as Enamorado-Cisnado, 26. Local reports filled in more of the alleged background. WCNC reported that court records say Brito Costa told investigators she had been in a relationship with Enamorado-Cisnado and shot her after learning of alleged infidelity. That account, if later supported in court, could give prosecutors and defense lawyers an early framework for arguing motive. Still, police have not publicly released a full investigative summary, and some key points remain unresolved in public view. Officers have not detailed when the shooting is believed to have happened, what evidence was recovered from the apartment, or whether investigators believe anyone else witnessed events before the welfare check was requested.
Neighbors’ accounts helped sketch the scene outside the apartment even as the case inside remained murky. WSOC reported that one resident living directly above the unit said he saw a large police response and officers speaking with people in multiple buildings. He said he knew a man, a woman and a dog were associated with the apartment but did not recognize the victim. That detail underscored how little nearby residents appeared to know about the people involved. The apartment complex itself became part of the story because it sits in a dense east Charlotte area where a homicide investigation can quickly ripple through a large number of residents. A simple welfare check in that setting meant detectives, patrol officers and crime-scene staff were suddenly working in the middle of an active residential community.
The case also now carries immigration and custody issues alongside the murder charge. WBTV reported that Brito Costa was being held in Mecklenburg County jail and that court records listed an ICE detainer. That does not change the basic criminal allegation, but it adds another procedural layer as the case moves through court. Prosecutors are expected to continue presenting evidence tied to the first-degree murder charge, while defense attorneys will likely focus on the circumstances behind the statements cited in local reporting and on the evidence collected in the apartment. The medical examiner’s ruling, forensic testing and any recovered weapon or digital records could become central at later hearings. For now, police and prosecutors have kept most of that material out of public view.
What stands out in the case is how many of the most important details emerged in stages. First came the welfare check, then the homicide ruling, then the arrest, then the victim’s identification, and finally more specific allegations from court-related reporting. That staggered release of information is common in serious violent-crime cases, especially when investigators are still confirming identity and notifying relatives. It can also leave neighbors and the public with a partial picture for days. In this case, the broad outline is now clear: Enamorado-Cisnado is dead, Brito Costa is charged, and investigators believe the killing happened inside an east Charlotte apartment. The finer points, including the exact timeline and the full evidentiary record, are still expected to come through court.
As of Friday, March 13, the homicide investigation remained open in the sense that police had not publicly answered every major question. The next milestone is likely to come in court, where filings and hearings could provide a fuller account of what investigators say happened inside the apartment.
Author note: Last updated March 13, 2026.