Multiple people have been charged with murder in connection with a fireworks warehouse explosion in California that killed seven people and injured two others in July. The blast occurred on 1 July at a 5,000 sq ft warehouse near the town of Esparto, about an hour from Sacramento, and sparked a large fire.
All of those who died were employees of Devastating Pyrotechnics, one of several firms storing explosives at the site. The victims were identified as Jesús Ramos, 18; Jhony Ramos, 22; Joel “Junior” Melendez, 28; Carlos Rodriguez-Mora, 43; Angel Mathew Voller, 18; Christopher Bocog, 45; and Neil Li, 41.
At least seven people now face charges related to the unlawful storage and handling of fireworks. Among them is Samuel Machado, a former lieutenant with the Yolo County Sheriff's Office at the time of the disaster. He faces 26 charges, including murder, illegal possession of explosives and reckless possession of an explosive device.
Prosecutors allege Machado allowed more than one million pounds of illegal fireworks to be stored at the warehouse, expanding his illicit business from 13 storage containers in 2015 to 50 by 2025. His wife, Tammy Machado, has also been arrested and posted bail; she faces charges including mortgage fraud and child endangerment for storing explosives near a family pool.
“Samuel Machado’s participation included using his role as a trusted lieutenant to help shield the conspiracy as it expanded, and the expansion was significant,” said Clara Nabity, the Yolo County deputy district attorney. “This is not a case just about fireworks. They are devices that have so much more explosive … than the law allows that they can’t be considered fireworks.”
