Five employees and contractors at a vape supply facility in Clinton Township testified Thursday about operations at the facility and what happened the night of an explosion that threw debris as far as two miles away and left one person dead.
Four of the employees were family members of Noor Kestou, who owned the facility on 15 Mile Road, home to Select Distributors and the Goo Smoke Shop. Kestou is charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the March 2024 death of Turner Lee Salter, who was hit by flying debris. Authorities still haven’t determined what started the fire.
Kestou’s preliminary examination began Thursday. On Wednesday, Clinton Township District Court Judge Sebastian Lucido will determine if there is enough evidence for Kestou to stand trial.
Laith Abusenenh, who did contracted IT work for Kestou, testified Thursday that Kestou got a ticket from the Federal Aviation Administration in 2022 for improperly shipping nitrous oxide.
He told Kestou he should take a hazmat course to learn how to safely ship nitrous oxide.
When Abusenenh visited the facility a few days before the fire, he said he noticed how high bundles of shrink-wrapped pallets were stacked. They were stacked three high, taller than his own height of 5-feet-5 inches, he said.
Read more at Detroit News
