A Charlotte man accused of gunning down a 25-year-old man on South Tryon Street last year pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree murder without regard, and a judge sentenced him to a minimum of 10 years in prison. Danny Cardoza-Lara admitted to killing Jose Alexander Lara Hernandez, closing out a case that began with a manhunt spanning two states.
According to Queen City News, court documents show Cardoza-Lara pleaded guilty to second-degree murder without regard as part of a plea agreement that dropped a robbery with a dangerous weapon charge and two counts of discharging a weapon into occupied property. He remains in the custody of the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections following sentencing.
A Deadly Night on South Tryon Street
The fatal shooting happened around 8 p.m. on April 19, 2025, in the 5300 block of South Tryon Street in south Charlotte, according to WCNC. MEDIC paramedics responded and pronounced Lara Hernandez, 25, dead at the scene.
Cardoza-Lara fled to Alexandria, Virginia, in the days after the shooting. Alexandria Police located and arrested him on April 21, 2025, after an automated license plate reader flagged his vehicle in a hotel parking lot on South Bragg Street, per ALXnow. He was taken into custody outside his hotel room in the city's West End.
The Virginia Investigation
CMPD homicide detectives traveled to Virginia to interview Cardoza-Lara, who was expected to be extradited to Mecklenburg County.
Days later, on June 18, 2025, ICE submitted an official detainer request to the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office for Cardoza-Lara under the federal Laken Riley Act, the station's report noted. The law, signed January 29, 2025, mandates ICE detention for noncitizens arrested or charged with theft, burglary, or crimes resulting in death or serious bodily injury, per the Department of Homeland Security, and was the first bill President Donald Trump signed during his second term. Cardoza-Lara was held as a noncitizen accused of a violent felony resulting in death.
Shortly after ICE requested custody, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein vetoed Senate Bill 153 and House Bill 318, measures that would have mandated local law enforcement compliance with federal ICE detainers, citing concerns over stretching local police resources and potential unconstitutional detentions. The veto highlighted a broader legislative conflict playing out statewide over sheriff cooperation with federal immigration holds even as Cardoza-Lara's case moved through Mecklenburg County courts.
The Sentence
Cardoza-Lara pleaded guilty to second-degree murder without regard and was sentenced to a minimum of 10 years in prison.
With the state case resolved, questions remain about what happens after Cardoza-Lara completes his sentence. His noncitizen status and the pending ICE detainer mean he could face federal immigration custody or deportation proceedings once his time in state prison ends.
A Snapshot of Charlotte's Broader Crime Trends
The case closed against a backdrop of shifting citywide crime numbers. Charlotte homicides decreased 13% overall in 2025 compared to 2024, dropping from 110 to 96, while CMPD reported a 21% reduction in violent crime citywide amid population growth, according to the City of Charlotte. More recently, crime was reported to have declined 23% from January through March.
