Medley welding business owner charged with manslaughter in explosion that killed 2 – NBC 6 South Florida

The owner of a Medley welding business has been charged with manslaughter in connection with an explosion that killed two customers in February.

Jean-Paul Lauris Martinez, 42, was arrested Wednesday on manslaughter charges in connection with the Feb. 21 explosion, which “escalated to the level of culpable negligence,” Miami-Dade police said.

A massive explosion and fire at Lauries Trailer Repair and General Welding at 11350 Northwest South River Drive killed Elias Gross, 59, and Vincent Williams, 54.

A nearby camera captured a huge fireball shooting into the air from the business, and aerial footage showed several buildings and vehicles engulfed in flames.

RAW: A ring camera shows a massive explosion at a business in Medley.

According to an arrest warrant, the victims were customers who went to the business to repair a puncture in a cargo tank and to inquire about attaching two exhaust pipes to a vehicle.

Lauris Martinez went to the tank and smelled what he determined to be diesel fuel, and when he opened the gas valves, he saw no liquid coming out and thought the tank was empty, the warrant said.

Investigators said the tank had four red flammable hazmat marks indicating gasoline, the command said.

Lauris Martinez told a worker to weld the tank, but the worker later told investigators that Lauris Martinez did not use any tools to remove the tank and did no chemical tests to assess what liquid was in the tank. The report stated.

The explosion occurred when the worker started welding. The bodies of the two victims were found after the fire was extinguished.

The employee said he spoke to Lauris Martinez two days after the explosion to make sure their conversation was the same, and that Lauris wanted Martinez to make an inaccurate statement to investigators.

Lauris Martinez was taken into custody and is being held without bond, records show. Attorney information not available.