Two individuals under arrest for the lethal blast and fire that claimed five lives at cannabis manufacturing facilities in Los Angeles County.
Breaking News: Five Charged with Murder in Deadly Illegal Cannabis Lab Explosions
In a shocking turn of events, Ted Chien, 54, and Han Quan Jiao, 55, have been charged with five counts of murder in connection with two separate incidents at illegal cannabis extraction laboratories in Irwindale and South El Monte, California.
The charges stem from two tragic incidents. On October 9, 2023, a warehouse in Irwindale exploded during honey oil extraction using butane gas, killing four employees: Yi Luo, Xin Chen, Guangqi Fu, and Quizhuo Liang. Over a year later, a fire occurred at a South El Monte cannabis lab, claiming the life of Bordin "Tony" Sikarin.
Ted Chien, the primary operator of these labs, has been charged with multiple murder counts, felony arson causing great bodily injury, maintaining places for selling or using controlled substances, and multiple manufacturing felony counts. Han Quan Jiao, a 55-year-old man from Rosemead, has been charged with one count of murder in connection with the South El Monte fire.
Four other individuals—Xiaolong Deng, Chengyan Xu, Christopher Reyes, and Frank Herrera—have also been charged in connection with the illegal operations of Chien and Jiao. Xu was charged with two counts of manufacturing and compounding or producing a controlled substances, while the other three were charged with one count of the same offense.
These individuals faced conspiracy and manufacturing charges related to the cannabis operations but not murder charges. Deng, Xu, and Reyes are expected back in court on Sept. 24 after previously entering not guilty pleas. Herrera is due in court on Monday for arraignment.
In a statement, LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman emphasised the dangerous consequences of such illegal operations, stating that they demonstrate the dangerous consequences of greed over employee and neighbor safety.
More than 150 law enforcement agents served search warrants at nine different Los Angeles County locations earlier this week in connection with the investigation, which they dubbed "Operation Sugar Diamond."
The victims of the Irwindale explosion were employees at a warehouse used for honey oil extraction. The South El Monte fire claimed another life a year later. As the court proceedings unfold, the community hopes for justice for the victims and their families.
[1] Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office Press Release, https://www.lacda.org/pressreleases/2023/10/09/five-individuals-charged-with-murder-in-connection-with-illegal-cannabis-labs-in-irwindale-and-south-el-monte
[3] KTLA News, "Four Dead After Explosion at Irwindale Warehouse," https://ktla.com/news/local-news/4-dead-after-explosion-at-irwindale-warehouse/
[4] LAist, "One Dead in South El Monte Cannabis Lab Fire," https://laist.com/news/south-el-monte-cannabis-lab-fire-death-investigation.php
[5] CBS LA, "Five Charged in Connection with Deadly Cannabis Lab Explosions," https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2024/09/01/five-charged-in-connection-with-deadly-cannabis-lab-explosions/
- The entertainment world might be overshadowed by a recent news story, as five individuals are charged with murder in connection with deadly illegal cannabis lab explosions in California.
- The breaking news about the charged individuals has overshadowed the sports and crime-and-justice segments on many general-news channels.
- The legal proceedings are expected to delve deeper into the law violations committed by the charged individuals, including the manufacturing of controlled substances and felony arson.
- Meanwhile, the politics section of news channels might speculate on the potential regulation, or lack thereof, of illegal cannabis labs in light of this tragedy.
