Owner of Dominican nightclub whose roof collapsed and killed 236 people arrested
The owner of a nightclub in the Dominican Republic, whose roof collapsed in April and killed 236 people, was arrested Thursday along with his sister.
Antonio Espaillat and Maribel Espaillat have not been charged in the case, although authorities have 48 hours to present any charges before a judge.
"Both defendants displayed immense irresponsibility and negligence by failing to physically intervene to prevent the club's roof from collapsing, as it ultimately did, causing 236 deaths and more than 180 injuries," the Dominican Republic's Attorney General's Office said in a statement.
Prosecutors accused the Espaillats of trying to intimidate or manipulate company employees, adding that they could serve as witnesses in the case.
An attorney for the Espaillats could not be immediately reached for comment.
The Espaillats were arrested after being interrogated for several hours.
A government-appointed committee that includes international experts is still investigating what caused the roof to collapse.
In an interview in late April, Espaillat said his family has operated the building for about 30 years. Since then, he said no engineer, architect or state authority had ever conducted a structural review of the structure, but alleged that firefighters and city officials did inspect for basic safety and licensing issues.
Espaillat said it is not commonplace for businesses in the area to undergo structural inspections.
Crews worked for 53 hours nonstop after arriving on the scene in Santo Domingo shortly after midnight on April 8, rescuing 189 survivors.
Following the collapse, the club said the tragedy "has deeply struck the hearts of all of us who are part of Jet Set and all Dominicans.
The victims included beloved singer Rubby Pérez, who was performing when the roof caved in, and Nelsy Cruz, the governor of Montecristi province and sister of seven-time Major League Baseball All-Star Nelson Cruz.
Also killed was former MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel, who was pulled from the debris but died at a hospital, and Dominican baseball player Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera.
Other victims include a retired U.N. official, New York-based fashion designer Martín Polanco, an Army captain who left behind four young girls, and three employees at Grupo Popular, a financial services company, including the president of AFP Popular Bank and his wife.
The club, which had operated for nearly five decades, was known for its Monday night merengue parties that attracted international celebrities and high-profile Dominicans.
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