Joel Jeremias Melendez,Carlos Javier Rodriguez-Mora Obituary, Death; – All seven individuals who tragically lost their lives in last week’s explosion at a fireworks facility in the rural town of Esparto, Yolo County, have been officially identified.
The Yolo County Coroner’s Office finalized autopsies and DNA tests on the remains yesterday, identifying the deceased as follows:
Christopher Goltiao Bocog, 45, from San Francisco
Neil Justin Li, 41, from San Francisco
Joel Jeremias Melendez, 28, from Sacramento
Carlos Javier Rodriguez-Mora, 43, from San Andreas
Jesus Manaces Ramos, 18, from San Pablo
Jhony Ernesto Ramos, 22, from San Pablo
Angel Mathew Voller, 18, from Stockton
Authorities have stated that the causes of death for each individual are still undetermined, pending the results of toxicology tests. All seven bodies were recovered on Friday. The explosion on July 1 also resulted in injuries to two additional individuals and ignited the nearly 80-acre Oakdale Fire.
Families expressing frustration over the slow flow of information are demanding answers.
The identifications have been made as family members of the victims seek information from Cal Fire, which is overseeing the investigation, along with other agencies.
Outside a press conference restricted to media on Monday, Jhony Ramos shared the anguish of losing both of his sons, Jhony and Jesus. “I want answers about my children,” he stated in Spanish.
Ramos arrived at the press conference hoping to receive some of those answers, under the impression that parents and others would be permitted to attend, but he was denied entry. He mentioned that he had not yet been contacted by investigators and felt overlooked.
“They’ve made us eat dust for these past seven days,” he remarked. “I didn’t lose just one; I lost two. Even if it were only one, it’s still a tragedy. My pain is doubled.”
Earlier, during a media briefing days following the explosion, 18-year-old Syanna Ruiz also voiced her frustration regarding the insufficient information being provided to families. She accused the fire crews of being overly cautious and not prioritizing the search for the victims.
Ruiz, who is expecting a child, stated that Jesus Ramos was her boyfriend, and he was on his first day of work at the facility alongside her brothers-in-law, who were.
Cal Fire says it is “actively tracking down numerous leads and [has] served multiple search warrants as part of the investigation process,” into the Esparto explosion, but has declined to provide additional details.
Multiple media outlets reported Tuesday law enforcement officials executed a search warrant in San Francisco connected to the company associated with the Yolo County facility, Devastating Pyrotechnics.
While the investigation is still in its early stages, one expert who sits on Cal Fire’s General Fireworks Advisory Committee is raising concerns about the incident.
Julie Heckman is the Executive Director of the American Pyrotechnics Association, a major trade organization for the commercial fireworks industry. She said explosions at fireworks facilities are very rare, and usually occur during either the manufacturing or preparation of fireworks.
She says fireworks facilities need to align with regulations established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). “I did not see that just based on my observations of looking at the structure of the warehouse,” Heckman told Insight Host Vicki Gonzalez.
