The owner of a Michigan business, whose explosion in March resulted in the tragic death of a 19-year-old, has now been charged with involuntary manslaughter. It was determined that a canister propelled by the blast struck and fatally injured the young person who happened to be standing a quarter-mile away from the incident.
Noor Kestou, the owner of Select Distributors, was apprehended this week at the John F. Kennedy Airport in New York. Michigan authorities had received a tip-off that Kestou was trying to depart the country on a single-way ticket to Hong Kong, leading to his arrest.
Macomb County prosecutor Peter Lucido expressed uncertainty about the ultimate goal of the individual in question. He pondered whether the aim was to remain in the country with a wife and child.
The lawyer representing Kestou did not respond to a request for comment at this time.
Officials have stated that the warehouse in Clinton Township, located just outside Detroit, which exploded on March 4, was a distributor for vape pens and smoke shop items. The warehouse was found to be illegally storing butane and nitrous oxide canisters.
The cause of the fire, which sent debris flying up to a mile away and required over 24 hours to extinguish, has yet to be determined by investigators. The ongoing investigation, led by the ATF, has not ruled out the possibility of human involvement, according to the local fire chief.
Clinton Township Police stated that Kestou had been fully cooperative throughout the investigation. However, charges were not filed against him until it was discovered that his passport had been scanned on April 20. Following this revelation, detectives promptly consulted with prosecutors and obtained a warrant for his arrest on the same day.
Kestou pleaded not guilty at an arraignment hearing on Thursday after being escorted back to Michigan by the police on Wednesday. He is currently out of jail on a $500,000 cash bond. As part of his release conditions, he is required to wear a tether, surrender his passport, refrain from possessing any weapons, and is prohibited from leaving the state.
Kestou could potentially face up to 15 years in prison if found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
The warehouse was plagued by sporadic explosions, pop-up fires, and smoke, which kept the local fire department on high alert for over a week.
Clinton Township Fire Chief Tim Duncan described the intense fire as a destructive force that significantly impacted the investigators’ ability to gather information and determine the cause of the incident.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken the initiative to begin the clean-up process by securely storing over 3,100 canisters of nitrous in containers that meet stringent transportation requirements.
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