Police records connect two men arrested after a North Carolina traffic stop to a vehicle belonging to Patrick Herman, whose death remains under investigation.
ORLANDO, FL — Two men arrested in North Carolina are named in records involving a stolen vehicle belonging to Patrick Herman, a 69-year-old Orlando man whose death was ruled a homicide, but Orlando police have not publicly said the men are suspects in his death.
Edward Chiarappa and Douglas Titus were arrested Sept. 8 after police in Davidson, North Carolina, stopped a blue 2015 Honda Civic following an alert from a license plate reader, according to arrest and court records obtained by Central Florida news outlets. Herman is identified as the victim in records connected to the vehicle theft case. Friends had found Herman dead inside his downtown Orlando home one day earlier.
The records create a documented connection between the North Carolina arrests and Herman, but authorities have not announced homicide charges against either man in connection with his death. Davidson police said both men were arrested on outstanding warrants from another state. WESH reported that an affidavit identified Chiarappa’s North Carolina arrest as involving vehicle theft. Mecklenburg County records also listed Chiarappa and Titus as fugitives following their arrests.
Extradition paperwork connected to the North Carolina case lists an Orlando Police Department detective as the investigator, according to records reviewed by News 6. Orlando police have declined to say whether Chiarappa or Titus are considered suspects in Herman’s death. The department has said the investigation remains active and that additional information is being withheld to protect the integrity of the case.
Herman was found dead Sept. 7 in his home on East Jefferson Street near Lake Eola after friends became concerned about him. Members of Orlando Front Runners and Walkers, a running and walking group to which Herman belonged, said he had missed a gathering and had not responded as expected. Friends who went to his home said packages had accumulated outside and his door was unlocked.
The Orange-Osceola medical examiner determined that Herman died from a blunt-force injury to the neck and classified his death as a homicide. Orlando police have released few details about what investigators believe happened inside the home, and no motive has been publicly disclosed. Police also have not publicly described what evidence, beyond the vehicle records, may connect the North Carolina investigation to Herman.
Several neighbors told News 6 they believed doorbell-camera video showed Herman allowing two people into his home around the time of his death. The station said it had not viewed that footage, and police have not publicly confirmed its contents. A neighbor also said investigators indicated they did not believe there was an ongoing danger to the neighborhood or that Herman’s death was random. Those statements have not been independently confirmed by police.
Friends described Herman as an architect, artist, runner, traveler and singer with the Orlando Gay Chorus. His disappearance from his usual routine prompted members of his running group to begin checking on him. Ashley Scammell, a former co-worker, told WESH that Herman treated her like family, while longtime friend Michael Hollmen described him as a peaceful person whose death left friends searching for answers.
The North Carolina records mark a significant development because they tie two arrests to property belonging to Herman, but key questions remain unanswered. Orlando police have not announced that either man is charged with killing Herman, have not released a motive and have not detailed the circumstances surrounding the theft of his vehicle. The homicide investigation remains active.
Author note: Last updated October 8, 2026.