Authorities say the owner of the Michigan building that exploded was arrested at the airport while attempting to leave the US.

The owner of a suburban Detroit business that was engulfed in flames and exploded, resulting in the death of a young man, has been arrested as he attempted to flee the country. Noor Noel Kestou, 31, was apprehended at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York as he was preparing to board a flight to Hong Kong on a one-way ticket.

The tragic incident took place on March 4 in Clinton Township, Michigan, at a building housing a distributor for the vaping industry known as Goo. The explosion, fueled by a truckload of butane canisters, sent containers flying up to 2 miles away, claiming the life of 19-year-old Turner Lee Salter who was struck by a nitrous oxide canister propelled through the air.

Authorities received a tip on April 20 that Kestou was attempting to leave the country, prompting his arrest. Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido stated that Kestou, as the owner of the business, was a suspect from the beginning. He has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, the highest charge based on current information and evidence.

Despite being released on a $500,000 bond, Kestou is required to wear a GPS tether and surrender his passport. A probable cause hearing is scheduled for May 7 in Clinton Township District Court. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, with authorities believing it originated in the southwest corner of the building.

Efforts to reach Kestou’s attorney for comment were unsuccessful. The community awaits further developments in this tragic and devastating case.