Owner of exploding building arrested at airport while trying to leave: Authorities

The proprietor of a suburban Detroit concern that caught occurrence and exploded, sidesplitting a man, was arrested astatine a New York airdrome arsenic helium was preparing to depart for Hong Kong connected a one-way ticket

CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- The proprietor of a suburban Detroit concern that caught occurrence and exploded, sidesplitting a man, was arrested astatine a New York airdrome arsenic helium was preparing to depart for Hong Kong connected a one-way ticket, authorities said Friday.

U.S. Customs and New York Port Authority unit arrested Noor Noel Kestou, 31, connected Saturday astatine John F. Kennedy International Airport. He was brought backmost to Michigan connected Wednesday.

Kestou, of Commerce Township, was arraigned Thursday connected an involuntary manslaughter charge.

The March 4 occurrence and detonation occurred successful a Clinton Township gathering that housed a distributor for the vaping manufacture called Goo. More than 100,000 vape pens were stored on-site. Authorities person said a truckload of butane canisters had arrived astatine the gathering wrong a week of the detonation that sent cannisters soaring up to 2 miles (3.2 kilometers), and much than fractional of that banal was inactive determination erstwhile the occurrence began.

Turner Lee Salter, 19, was astir a 4th of a mile (0.40 kilometers) distant erstwhile helium was struck by a nitrous oxide cannister that was propelled done the aerial by the explosion. Salter aboriginal died.

Authorities said they were fixed accusation connected April 20 that Kestou was trying to alert to Hong Kong.

“We don't cognize what his eventual extremity was,” Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido told reporters Friday. “Was it to enactment retired of the state with a woman and kid here? Nobody has a crystal shot to find who is simply a formation risk.”

“He was a fishy from the beginning, being the proprietor of this business,” Lucido added. “Anyone that owns a concern and thing similar this happens has to beryllium considered a suspect.”

Goo had received a township occupancy licence successful September 2022 for the 26,700-square-foot (2,480-square-meter) gathering arsenic a retail determination for a “smoke shop/vape store” that would merchantability paraphernalia for vape products, Clinton Township’s Building Department has said.

Kestou has been released aft posting a $500,000 bond. Lucido said authorities person his passport and that a information of enslaved is that Kestou has to deterioration a GPS tether. A probable origin proceeding is scheduled for May 7 successful Clinton Township District Court.

Kestou’s attorney, James Thomas, said Thursday helium had nary remark connected the case.