2 Tenants Above Upper Darby Store Die From Carbon Monoxide
UPPER DARBY, Pa. (CBS) – Investigators in Delaware County believe a generator running without any ventilation is to blame for the carbon monoxide deaths of two men.
The incident happened Friday morning at a business in the 7300 block of West Chester Pike in Upper Darby. Two apartments are located above the business.
According to investigators, PECO shut off the power to the Smart International Grocery Store on Wednesday because the owners didn't pay the electricity bills.
Police say the owners then ran the store from a generator, but it flooded the building with gas. Police say all the windows were closed, trapping the poisonous gas inside the building.
"They're dead for no reason. They're dead because somebody didn't pay their electric bill, bottom line," Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said.
Chitwood said the carbon monoxide readings were more than 100 times the safe level.
"I'm telling ya, had there been 10 people in that place, 10 people would have been dead," Chitwood said.
The victims were found in separate apartments above the grocery store.
The first victim has been identified as 58-year-old Ernesto Huerta. The second victim has been identified as 50-year-old Stephen Butler.
Chitwood said a homicide investigation has been opened.
The deadly incident remains under investigation.
Reported By Al Novack, KYW Newsradio; Steve Beck, CBSPhilly.com, Oren Liebermann, CBS 3
