Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman has confirmed that Gary Weisenberg and Matthew Weisenberg, owners of S&W Atlas Iron and Metal Corp., were recently jailed without bail. The remand will stand until their bail hearing scheduled for March 17. The Weisenbergs face a 25-count indictment in connection with the August 2024 explosion at their scrap metal facility, which is close to a high school and residential area, as per the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. The blast raised serious concerns about public safety and environmental health, especially since it occurred as students arrived for their first day of classes.
These charges, as detailed in a release by the District Attorney's Office, include high-stakes felony counts of hazardous waste disposal without a permit and a felony count related to the deposit of hazardous waste. The Weisenbergs are also facing misdemeanor counts for the failure to properly maintain their facility to prevent fire hazards or explosions and one count of public nuisance. The allegations suggest that the owners knowingly compromised the safety of the community and the environment.
"The young students at Jordan High School should never have been put in harm’s way," said District Attorney Hochman in the statement. The indictment alleges that the metal recycling operation has increasingly skirted environmental and safety regulations since 2017.
The investigation, which included collaboration with various Los Angeles County services, gathered evidence such as soil samples from the high school and the Atlas facility. These samples showed excessive concentrations of lead, zinc, and seven other metals, as detailed by the District Attorney's Office. Addressing the implications of the indictment, Deputy District Attorneys Daniel Wright and Cynthia Valenzuela are leading the prosecution.
