MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. – The owner of a Clinton Township business that caught fire and saw several explosions, killing a teenager with flying debris, was arrested at an airport after he purchased a one-way ticket to China.
The massive fire was first reported to dispatch at 8:50 p.m. on Monday, March 4. Thousands of containers of combustible gas that were stored in the building caused continuous explosions. The debris field stretched at least a half-mile in every direction, according to officials.
At 9:31 p.m. on the night of the fire, officers responded to reports of a person injured about a quarter of a mile away from the fire scene. Turner Lee Salter, 19, of Clinton Township, was struck in the head by flying debris and died from his injuries.
On Friday, April 26, Clinton Township police Captain Tony Coppola said it took multiple fire departments about 24 hours to gain some control over the fire. Crews spent well over a week monitoring the fire. The investigation was still ongoing as of Friday.
Clinton Township police Chief Dina Caringi said that on Saturday, April 20, detectives received information that the owner and operator of the building, Noor Noel Kestou, had purchased a one-way plane ticket to Hong Kong. Kestou, 31, was set to depart from the JFK International Airport in New York later that same evening.
An arrest warrant for Kestou was authorized. He was arrested at the airport. Clinton Township detectives flew to New York and and took him into custody on Wednesday, April 24.
The business owner -- believed to be the only owner of the Clinton Township business -- was charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter.
Kestou waived his extradition hearing. He was arraigned in 41B District Court on Thursday, April 25, where his bond was set at $500,000 cash/surety only. If released on bond, Kestou will be required to wear a GPS tether, surrender his passport, not leave the state, and not possess weapons.
---> Building owner faces manslaughter charge in Macomb County explosion
Cause of fire still under investigation
Clinton Township fire Chief Tim Duncan said Friday that the scene of the explosion was released back to the company a week ago on April 19.
On April 22, about 30 private insurance fire investigators were on scene, and a drone was flown over the site. Investigators were encouraged to walk the perimeter of the site, but they still have not been allowed to enter the building -- which officials said may still be unsafe.
Chief Duncan said investigators spent hours trying to determine the cause of the fire. The intensity of the fire damaged much of what investigators would usually use to find answers.
“At this stage, they’re still at the undetermined aspect of it -- but they cannot exclude human involvement in this fire at this time,” Duncan said. “They would still like to have more investigation, more information come from some of the witnesses. Some of that is still coming out.
“Our hope is that in the future, when they actually get on the site and start pulling everything away, we’re trying to maintain that southwest corner of the building, which is where we believe the fire started, based upon the information we’ve seen.”
Duncan said there were some camera systems in the building, and they hope to obtain answers from those systems in the future. The investigation remained open as of Friday.
The EPA was reportedly working to get the site cleaned up. The EPA found more than 3,100 cannisters of nitrous oxide at the site that are being held in secure containers.
The new details on the arrest and explosion were released during a press conference at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 26. Watch the press conference in the video player up above.
Find full coverage of the Clinton Township explosion here.