San Ramon Man Charged in Deadly Fireworks Explosion

A San Ramon man is now charged with seven murders in the July 1, 2025 fireworks warehouse explosion in Esparto that killed seven workers. (patch.com) Prosecutors say Kenneth Chee, owner of Devastating Pyrotechnics, was arrested in Florida near Walt Disney World on April 10, 2026, as Yolo County announced indictments tied to the blast. Five defendants face seven murder counts each, and eight people were arrested in all. (capradio.org, cbsnews.com) The explosion happened at a warehouse in rural Yolo County near Esparto and injured two other people, according to prosecutors and local reports. Authorities say the building was being used to store illegal fireworks. (abc7news.com, ktvu.com) The victims were identified as Angel Mathew Voller, 18, of Stockton; Carlos Javier Rodriguez-Mora, 43, of San Andreas; Neil Justin Li, 41, and Christopher Goltiao Bocog, 45, of San Francisco; Joel Jeremias Melendez, 28, of Sacramento; and brothers Jesus Manaces Ramos, 18, and Jhony Ernesto Ramos, 22, of San Pablo. (abc7news.com) Court filings described by CapRadio say investigators tied the case to a larger chain of alleged explosives violations, including claims that some defendants moved fireworks through unlicensed sites and stored them in unsafe conditions. CapRadio also reported this week that prosecutors linked two defendants’ explosives to other deaths before and after the Esparto blast. (capradio.org) One of the murder defendants is Samuel Machado, a Yolo County sheriff’s lieutenant who owned the property where the warehouse stood, according to the indictment coverage. His wife, Tammy Machado, was also charged, though not with murder, and prosecutors allege she helped conceal illegal activity on the site. (abc7news.com, capradio.org) The case has widened beyond the criminal charges. Yolo County’s Board of Supervisors said on April 10 that it would not comment on the criminal proceedings involving Sam and Tammy Machado, while a county civil grand jury separately released a report on the July 1, 2025 Oakdale Fire incident. (yolocounty.gov, yolocounty.gov) State fire officials also completed a broader review after the explosion. The Office of the State Fire Marshal says a Public Safety Fireworks Enforcement Task Force issued recommendations, with appendix updates scheduled after its April 2026 meeting. (osfm.fire.ca.gov) Six defendants returned to court on April 17, and ABC7 reported that Machado pleaded not guilty as relatives of the dead workers addressed the court. The criminal case now moves forward nearly 10 months after the warehouse exploded in what prosecutors describe as an illegal fireworks operation. (abc7news.com)