Multiple people have been charged with murder in connection to a fatal fireworks-warehouse explosion in California that killed seven people and injured two others in July.
The explosion at the 5,000-sq-ft warehouse sparked a massive fire near the small town of Esparto, about an hour outside Sacramento. The explosion took place on 1 July; local celebrations to commemorate the Fourth of July holiday were cancelled that year.
The people who died all were employees of Devastating Pyrotechnics, one of several companies storing explosives at the warehouse property. Authorities and family members identified the victims 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, according to the Sacramento Bee.
At least seven people now face charges for their role in the storage and handling of the fireworks, which were unlawfully kept at the warehouse.
Among the defendants is Samuel Machado, who also served as a lieutenant with the Yolo county sheriff’s office at the time of the disaster. Machado faces 26 charges, Capital Public Radio reported, including murder, possession of explosives illegally, and reckless possession of an explosive device.
Machado allegedly allowed more than 1m pounds of illegal fireworks to be stored in the warehouse, according to prosecutors. Machado subsequently used his position in the sheriff’s department to avoid accountability for the illegal fireworks operation.
The former lieutenant widely expanded his illicit fireworks business, as the warehouse grew from having 13 firework storage containers in 2015, to 50 in 2025, the Associated Press reported.
“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, in a press conference.
Machado’s wife, Tammy Machado, was also arrested, and has since posted bail. Tammy faces multiple charges including mortgage fraud and child endangerment for storing illicit explosives near a family pool, the Longmont Daily Times-Call reported, citing the criminal complaint.
Others who have been indicted stored or sold fireworks out of Machado’s facility.
“This is not a case just about fireworks,” said Nabity. “They are devices that have so much more explosive fireworks than the law allows that they can’t be considered fireworks.”
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