Kendall Grow House Damaged By Blast To Be Demolished
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A west Kendall home which was severely damaged when a hydroponics lab exploded last month will be demolished Wednesday afternoon.
The home, at 6355 SW 151 Place, was deemed unsafe after the explosion; the force was so great it literally lifted parts of the roof off.
Construction crews spent Wednesday morning clearing the yard and shoring up parts of the structure so it can be brought down safely.
Neighbors said they will be glad when it's gone.
"It's necessary," said Ana Egusquiza, "It's necessary that they do that."
Neighbor Orlando Martinez said he'll never forget the blast.
"We were laying in bed awake and then all of the sudden there was an explosion and our house immediately rumbled and shook and it was very loud," said Martinez.
Police said considering conditions inside the home, it was an accident waiting to happen.
"They had chemicals, there were a lot of different vapors in there, they used electricity which they stole from the company, obviously they didn't do it by code, they didn't have it done by professionals," said Miami-Dade police spokesman Det. Alvaro Zabaleta. "When you combine all these elements it just creates a formula for disaster."
Police said Erisbel V. Herrera and Maylen Del Castillo were renting the home at the time of the explosion. The couple's two children, a four year old and six month old, were also inside the home when the explosion occurred.
"This is something that we cannot allow within out residences, within our communities, our children can be in danger, a lot of innocent people are in danger and we're asking the community to keep their eyes and ears open," said Zabaleta.
Herrera and Del Castillo are wanted on charges of marijuana trafficking and child neglect.
