Police say the victim was 26-year-old Evelin Carolina Enamorado-Cisnado, whose body was found during a welfare check in east Charlotte.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A 23-year-old woman has been charged with first-degree murder after police found the body of a 26-year-old woman inside an east Charlotte apartment during a welfare check this week, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg police and court records.
Authorities identified the victim Friday as Evelin Carolina Enamorado-Cisnado. The arrest of Lhis Brito Costa came one day after officers were sent to the Peppertree Apartments near Central Avenue and Kilborne Drive. The case drew added attention after local reports said the body had begun decomposing and had been hidden in a closet, turning what began as a welfare check into a homicide investigation with lingering questions about when the killing happened and how long the victim had been dead.
Police said officers went to the apartment complex at about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, to check on someone’s well-being. Inside the apartment, officers found a woman with life-threatening injuries. She was later pronounced dead, and homicide detectives took over the case. At first, police did not publicly identify the victim and did not release the cause of death. By Wednesday, Brito Costa had been arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Court records later named the victim as Enamorado-Cisnado, and local television reports said investigators were working to piece together what happened inside the apartment before officers arrived.
According to reporting on arrest records and court documents, Brito Costa told investigators she had been in a relationship with Enamorado-Cisnado. WCNC reported that court records say Brito Costa told investigators she shot Enamorado-Cisnado after learning of alleged cheating. Police have not publicly released a full narrative affidavit laying out the evidence in detail, and investigators have not publicly explained how they were led to the apartment for the welfare check. They also have not said whether anyone else was inside the unit when the shooting happened or whether neighbors heard gunfire. In the first hours after the body was found, nearby residents told local media they were surprised by the heavy police presence and said they had not heard anything unusual before detectives moved through the complex.
The apartment complex, known as Peppertree Apartments, sits in a busy east Charlotte corridor near Central Avenue, an area where apartment communities, small businesses and traffic-heavy roads meet. That setting gave the case an immediate neighborhood impact because the discovery came in a shared residential building, with officers interviewing residents and securing the area. WSOC reported that one neighbor who lived above the apartment said he knew a man, a woman and a dog stayed in the unit but did not recognize the victim. The same outlet reported neighbors saw police activity throughout the night as detectives tried to identify the woman and sort out who knew whom. Those details helped show how little was publicly known at first, even to people living only feet away.
The legal case is now moving into its next phase. Brito Costa was booked into the Mecklenburg County jail and was being held without bond, according to local reports. WBTV also reported that court records showed an ICE detainer had been placed on her. The first-degree murder charge means prosecutors could pursue the case as an intentional killing, but investigators and the district attorney’s office still have not publicly released all of the evidence expected to shape future court hearings. The medical examiner’s findings, ballistics work and any digital evidence could become central as the case proceeds. Investigators also have not publicly answered the basic timeline question that many homicide cases turn on: exactly when Enamorado-Cisnado was killed.
The case has left neighbors and relatives searching for answers while police continue building the file. Enamorado-Cisnado was publicly identified only after the initial arrest, a gap that often reflects the time needed to confirm identity and notify family. In television reports, the tone around the apartment complex was one of shock rather than drama, with residents describing a sudden burst of officers, detectives and questioning in a place that had seemed ordinary only hours earlier. That contrast often marks cases that begin with a welfare check, where officers arrive expecting concern and instead uncover evidence of a killing. Here, the unanswered details about motive, timing and what happened inside the apartment remain at the center of the story.
The case remained active Friday, March 13, with Brito Costa in custody and police still withholding some investigative details. The next major milestone is expected to be further court proceedings and any added release of evidence from detectives or prosecutors.
Author note: Last updated March 13, 2026.