CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (FOX 2) - The owner of a Clinton Township building that exploded last year, killing a man, was ordered to stand trial for involuntary manslaughter Thursday.
After hearing testimony during preliminary examinations that spanned days over several months this year, a judge said there is enough evidence for Noor Noel Kestou's case to advance.
The backstory:
Before the March 4, 2024, explosion, a fire was reported at the building that housed Goo and Select Distributors at 15 Mile and Groesbeck. When firefighters arrived, they were met with explosions sending shrapnel in all directions.
The blasts were so strong that they sent pieces of metal flying as far as a mile away, with 19-year-old Turner Salter, who was ¼ mile away, being hit and killed by a flying canister.
This browser does not support the Video element.
State lawmakers pursue whippet ban after Clinton Township explosion
Michigan lawmakers are working to get legislation passed that will make selling these little cartridges illegal.
According to the Select Distributors website, the company is a wholesale supplier of vapes, CBD products, hookahs, lighters, and more. Clinton Township Fire Chief Tim Duncan said the company had nitrous oxide, butane canisters, and lighter fluid inside. These materials exploded repeatedly.
Barry Miller, with the city's building department, previously said that the business was issued a certificate of occupancy to operate a store. The business was not supposed to have canisters of nitrous oxide or butane.
"Our last inspection did not show this amount of material in this building," Duncan said. "Without those tanks, we don’t have this issue."
That inspection was in 2022.
Kestou was arrested in April 2024 in New York. According to Macomb County Prosecutor Pete Lucido, he had a plane ticket out of the United States.
Dig deeper:
Employees who testified during Kestou's preliminary exam said they had no formal training on how to handle hazardous materials.
"We were all very careful. It wasn't something where anybody was in there playing or things of that nature. Different industries have different things you have to be careful with. It was the same with us: Respect what you work with, respect your environment," worker Francis Kashat said.
Clinton Township fatal explosion: Employees detail lack of training with hazardous material
The owner of a Clinton Township building where an explosion killed one person is in court this week, as a judge considers if his involuntary manslaughter case should go to trial. Nour Kestou is accused of illegally storing hazardous chemicals, which are believed to have caused the deadly March 2024 blast.
What's next:
Kestou is due in Macomb County Circuit Court on Nov. 3 for his arraignment.
The Source: FOX 2 was in court for Kestou's preliminary exam. Previous reporting was also used.
Watch FOX 2 News Live
This browser does not support the Video element.