Street Take Over and ICE Roundup - Follow Up

Carlos Anders Barros Sandoval Age 19 Photo Courtesy MCSO

Last November 19th, CMPD Officers arrested several participants of an illegal street takeover on Central Avenue. 

The scene of the take over was the run down shopping center located between Eastway and North Sharon Amity. The shopping center was once home to the famous "San Remo" restaurant which is now the Lempira Restaurant that serves up Central American food.

The Lempira Restaurant Central Avenue formerly San Remo

Because of the ICE and CBP Charlotte's Web Operation last November business at the restaurant had collapsed. According to the local paper many of Charlotte's Hispanic immigrants took to the restaurant parking lot to protest.

Protest turned into a full blown street take over including burnouts and endless donuts.

19 year old Carlos Anders Barros Sandoval was one of those involved and arrested.

Barros Sandoval was charged with:

POS/SELL/BUY ALT GUN SERIAL NO
STREET TAKEOVER
CARRYING CONCEALED WEAPON

And the vehicle he was driving was seized. 

He was processed into at the Mecklenburg Detention Center at 2:13 a.m. on November 20, 2025 and promptly served an ICE DETAINER and an ADMINSTRAIVE WARRANT.

CMPD Affidavit:

On 11/19/2025 at approximately 2136 hours, Officers assigned to the South-West Service Area Crime Reduction Unit were conducting routine patrol along Centra! Ave. and Norland Rd While at this area observed grey in color Honda Sedan occupied by multiple people hanging out of the doing donuts in the PVA located at 4463 Central Ave. This Honda sedan was accompanied by multiple other vehicles also doing donuts in the PVA. 

Officers drove our marked patrol vehicle into the PVA and turned on blue lights and siren to initiate traffic stop. The vehicle attempted to exit the PVA but drove towards our patrol vehicle, coming to stop. Officers approached and detained the driver, later identified as Carlos Barros-Sandoval.

Prior to seizing the vehicle, Officers conducted an inventory search of the vehicle and located firearm (Taurus G2C) under the driver seat. 

The firearm was completely concealed with no part of the (weapon) visible from plain view. Upon inspection, both serial numbers of the firearm were completely scratched off, unable to read any part of the serial number.

Carlos was subsequently arrested for participating in a street take over, carrying concealed gun, possession of firearm with an obliterated serial number.

This is were things get murky. 

Carlos Anders Barros Sandoval was able to post bond and was released on November 30, 2026. His release time is noted at 9:58 which would indicate that he was handed over to ICE as the MCSO typically releases inmates in the dead of night.

The first charge regarding the weapon with an altered serial number was dismissed in February and the other two charges dismissed in May. 

There is no reason stated for the dismissal, no confirmation that Carlos Anders Barros Sandoval was transferred to the custody of ICE or the Justice Department for removal. The last entry on May 29, 2026 was for the destruction of the firearm.

Cedar's Take:

There is zero accountability at the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office or within the courts. According to MCSO Sandoval has not been arrested since. The Courts and MCSO have a very challenging time with Hispanic hyphenated names and understanding Latin naming processes. 

San Remo (Now Lempira) was once the safest late night restaurant in Charlotte. You could not walk into the place without having at least one booth being occupied by CMPD Officers. The owner "George" was awesome. I know this place well because I once dated his best waitresses. Toni was crazy fun. Sadly hooking up with her older sister in law and then her baby sister (yes she was 18) was my downfall. Still it saddens me that this part of Charlotte has fallen so far. 

The word Lempira by the way refers to the official Honduran Lempira, which is the national currency of Honduras. It's worth about 3 cents compared to the US Dollar.

Chief Lempira is a national hero in Honduras because he fought against the Spanish conquistadors, the name lempira means "lord of the mountains".