A quiet Waxhaw back road turned into a crime scene yesterday afternoon after deputies say a man killed his mother inside her home, then later surrendered to police in Charlotte. Authorities identified the suspect as 32-year-old Slava Pak and the victim as his mother, Larisa Pak, a loss that neighbors say has shaken the usually calm Union County community.
According to WBTV, Union County deputies were called to a home on Mini Ranch Road near Maggie Robinson Road around 5 p.m. yesterday, after Charlotte-Mecklenburg police asked them to conduct a welfare check. Deputies say they spotted a woman inside through a window and, once they got into the house, found her dead from multiple gunshot wounds. Investigators later identified her as Larisa Pak. Officials say Slava Pak then turned himself in at a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police facility, where he was arrested on a first-degree murder charge.
Cross-county probe
While Union County detectives worked the scene in Waxhaw, the Chester County Sheriff's Office in South Carolina was also trying to track down Larisa, sending its own welfare check request and simultaneously investigating a separate shooting where, according to the Chester County Sheriff's Office, Slava Pak was identified as a suspect. That victim survived. The overlapping calls and locations have sparked a coordinated effort among Union County, Charlotte-Mecklenburg, and Chester County authorities as they compare notes, gather evidence, and line up witness interviews to build a full timeline of Pak's movements.
Charges and what comes next
Deputies say Pak was charged with first-degree murder and booked into the Union County Detention Center, where he is being held without bond, according to WBTV. Under North Carolina law, first-degree murder is a Class A felony that can carry either the death penalty or life in prison without parole, per N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-17. Prosecutors have not yet said whether they will seek the harshest available punishment.
Investigation ongoing
Detectives say they are still working to establish a motive and are reviewing evidence across county and state lines. Anyone with information is urged to contact local law enforcement. This story will be updated as officials release additional details.
