The owner of an industrial building in Clinton Township is set to stand trial on an involuntary manslaughter charge in connection with last year's fatal explosion that left a 19-year-old dead. Noor Noel Kestou, who faces allegations stemming from the March 4, 2024, incident, was bound over for trial after a preliminary examination wrapped up Thursday, as reported by CBS News Detroit. The case is now moving to Macomb County Third Circuit Court, with Kestou's arraignment scheduled for November 3, according to Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido.
The explosion occurred at a building housing Goo and Select Distributors, a wholesale supplier for various products, including vapes and lighters. Turner Salter, the teenager killed in the event, was a quarter mile away when struck by a canister amidst shrapnel flying as far as a mile from the blast site. The FOX 2 Detroit article noted that thousands of nitrous oxide and butane canisters stored at the location contributed to the repeated explosions.
Kestou was taken into custody in April 2024 at JFK International Airport in New York, where he was attempting to leave the country. As reported by ClickOnDetroit, an arrest warrant was issued before his apprehension, with Clinton Township detectives subsequently extraditing him from New York to face charges. The investigation has brought to light that the business, while inspected in 2022, was not supposed to house the type of combustibles that fueled the massive explosion.
Further disputes over the business's allowed operations surfaced during testimony. "Our last inspection did not show this amount of material in this building," Clinton Township Fire Chief Tim Duncan told FOX 2 Detroit. Employees of the business, upon examination, indicated a lack of proper training for handling the dangerous materials, with worker Francis Kashat asserting, "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."
