A Clinton Township judge has ruled that the owner of a vape warehouse that exploded in March 2024, leaving one person dead, should stand trial on one charge of involuntary manslaughter.
Prosecutors argued that Noor Kestou was grossly negligent when he improperly stored nitrous oxide and butane together in his Clinton Township vape facility, which is not allowed under the law unless certain precautions are taken. When Kestou’s building on 15 Mile exploded, thousands of nitrous oxide cylinders and lithium batteries were on the site. Some flew more than a mile away.
Kestou’s preliminary examination, where prosecutors presented evidence to show there is probable cause that Kestou committed involuntary manslaughter, took place over three days from May to September. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.
Though both prosecutors and Kestou’s attorney submitted written arguments to Judge Sebastian Lucido over the past few weeks, 41B District Court clerks refused to release them to The Detroit News before Lucido’s Thursday ruling. Assistant Prosecutor Carmen DeFranco and Kestou’s attorney James Thomas did not respond to a request for the written arguments.
Lucido did not hear oral arguments in the case Thursday, but instead issued his opinion based on the written briefs.
In all, prosecutors called 12 witnesses over three days to testify against Kestou. Prosecutors said Kestou’s improper storage of the hazardous materials led to the death of 19-year-old Turner Lee Salter, who was struck by flying debris from the explosion and died from his injuries. Investigators still do not know the cause of the fire, DeFranco said.
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