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CORTLANDT, N.Y. - A Cortlandt Manor contractor has pleaded guilty in connection with a January incident in Rockland County, which resulted in an explosion that injured four people, destroyed a condominium unit and damaged nearby homes.
Fidel Padilla, the Croton Avenue contractor, pleaded guilty to felony reckless endangerment, and his company, FGC Communications, Inc., pleaded guilty to felony assault. Both pleas were entered last week in Rockland County Court.
Todays plea agreement not only holds these defendants accountable for their conduct, but also sends a message to the construction industry: those who knowingly risk the publics safety - to save time or money - will face justice," said Rockland County District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe, in a release on May 18.
The contractor was hired to install a two-inch conduit at the Fairgrounds II condiminum complex in the village of West Haverstraw. The conduit was for the installation of Verizon Fios fiberoptic cable, according to a release from the District Attorney's Office.
Over several days, the conduit was installed throughout much of the complex without incident. On Jan. 16, at approximately 12:15 p.m., the defendants excavated under Zariello Lane using a pneumatic device called a mole or missile.
The District Attorney's Office said that by failing to comply with safety standards and the direction of the subcontractor, the missile owned by Padilla struck and punctured a natural gas main owned by Orange & Rockland Utilities.
The resulting gas leak ignited and sparked an explosion that destroyed the condo unit at 52 Zariello Lane and seriously damaged several nearby homes.
Two West Haverstraw volunteer firefighters and two Orange & Rockland Utilities workers, who were evacuating residents and assessing the gas leak, were seriously injured when the explosion occurred.
This incident is particularly disturbing because it could have been prevented. By violating applicable regulations and industry standards, these defendants nearly caused the deaths of four people and left several families homeless. Their careless and short-sighted decisions had the potential to cause serious loss of life," said Zugibe.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 27.
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