A man who was involved in a California fireworks incident that killed seven people was arrested at Walt Disney World earlier this month.
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Local media outlet WRAL News reported that Kenneth Chee, the CEO of Devastating Pyrotechnics, was taken into custody after he was arrested at Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios. He had a fugitive warrant tied to the fireworks explosion that occurred at a fireworks warehouse in Northern California last summer.
The explosion happened on July 1 near the community of Esparto. It sparked a massive fire and also led to the cancellation of nearby Fourth of July events. The incident led to seven deaths, two injuries, and multiple murder charges.
Prosecutors said Kee is among several people indicted in the case. Law enforcement pointed out that the situation allegedly involved an illegal pyrotechnics operation.
Officials have notably coordinated arrests across multiple locations to prevent suspects from fleeing. A total of eight people now face approximately 30 charges, including murder, conspiracy, and weapon offenses. She revealed that among the eight, five have already been charged with murder.
Following his arrest, Kee appeared in court in Orange County. He was being held without bond pending extradition to California.
Former Yolo County Sheriff Lieutenant Is Among Those Arrested For the Deadly Fireworks Incident
CNN reports that one of the five people charged with murder is a former Yolo County Sheriff lieutenant.
Yolo County Deputy District Attorney Clara Nabity stated that Samuel Machado allowed more than one million pounds (453,000 kilograms) of fireworks that were not legally allowed to be stored at his property. He notably used his position at the sheriff’s office to evade scrutiny as the operation grew.
“Samuel Machado’s participation included using his role as a trusted lieutenant to help shield the conspiracy as it expanded,” Nabity stated. “And the expansion was significant.
Nabity then said the warehouse went from having 13 fireworks storage containers in 2015 to 50 in 2025. Machado’s property included a 5,000-square-foot warehouse for storing and selling fireworks.
Machado’s wife, Tammy Machado, was also arrested. She was a non-sworn administrative employee at the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office when the explosion happened. Both she and Samuel were placed on leave following the tragedy. She now faces charges of mortgage fraud, filing a willfully wrong tax return, and endangering a child by storing illegal explosives next to the family’s pool.
“This is not a case just about fireworks,” Nabity added. “They are devices that have so much more explosive fireworks than the law allows that they can’t be considered fireworks.”