MEDLEY, Fla. – An arrest warrant obtained by Local 10 News Thursday details why police said a Medley welding business owner acted with “culpable negligence” before an explosion that killed two men back in February.
Police arrested Jean Paul Lauries-Martinez, 42, of Miami Gardens on Wednesday, charging him with two counts of manslaughter in the Feb. 21 deaths of Elias Gross, 59, and Vincent Williams, 54.
The explosion happened just before 8:45 a.m. at Lauries-Martinez’s business, Lauries Trailer Repair and General Welding, located at 11350 NW S. River Drive.
“Look at me, I haven’t been able to eat, I don’t sleep well without medication, I can’t to anything but sit in my bed,” said Jeanne Williams, Vincent Williams’ mother.
According to the warrant, Gross and Williams, who ran a fuel business, came to the business in hopes of getting a cargo tank repaired and two exhaust pipes attached to the vehicle.
Lauries-Martinez told detectives that he went to the cargo tank and smelled diesel rather than gasoline and did not see any liquid coming out of its valves, concluding it was empty, and then advised his employee to begin welding, the warrant states.
Miami-Dade Police Department Detective Danny Morales, who works in the agency’s homicide section, wrote that she obtained a statement from the employee, who told her Lauries “never used any type of equipment to vent or purge the cargo tank prior to requesting him to weld.”
“Additionally, (the worker) explained that he never saw Mr. Lauries perform any chemical tests to assess what type of liquid was inside the fuel tank,” Morales wrote. “(The worker) advised that he was told by his boss to begin welding and after welding 2-3 points, the explosion occurred(.)”
According to the warrant, worker told detectives Lauries-Martinez called him two days after the explosion to “make sure their statements were the same” and wanted the worker to lie to police about what happened.
Police noted that the cargo tank had four placards identifying hazardous materials with the numerals “1203,” identifying gasoline.
Additionally, according to the warrant, Lauries-Martinez’s shop was not properly registered or licensed with the U.S. Department of Transportation in order to weld cargo tanks.
Police said a laboratory report from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, received on March 16, showed samples taken from the cargo tank contained heavy petroleum distillate, an ignitable liquid.
The families of the two business partners who died are now devastated and want justice.
“Ten years in jail at least,” said Williams. “I’m sure it won’t happen, but that’s what I would be happy with, but I want him to suffer. It’s not right, but I do.”
Lauries-Martinez appeared in Miami-Dade court on Thursday, where Judge Mindy Glazer set his bond at $20,000 and required he surrender his passport.