Owner of Dominican Republic nightclub arrested after roof collapse kills 236 people
Antonio Espaillat, the owner of Jet Set nightclub in the Dominican Republic, has been arrested after a fatal roof collapse killed at least 236 people.
The event unfolded during the early hours of April 8th. During a performance by merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who was among those killed during the tragedy, the roof of the venue caved in. Casualties included a governor, former MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel and a member of Congress, per The New York Times.
Espaillat had previously apologised for the tragedy, citing issues with the filtration system. He explained the ceiling was made from plaster tiles, which often fell. On the night of the incident, he explained that a new plasterboard had been added to the ceiling just hours before the collapse.
Espaillat then apologised to the victims’ families, saying he’s “going to face everything”.
He explained: “I’m not going anywhere. To the families of the victims, I want to say I’m sorry. I’m very sorry. I am completely destroyed.”
The arrest sees the landlord charged with involuntary homicide alongside his sister, Maribel Espaillat. It follows new evidence against Antonio from a club employee, who told authorities that he had warned the club’s owners of his concerns about the roof’s safety ahead of the fatal event. They reportedly urged them to cancel the concert.
A statement from the attorney general’s office claimed that both owners had attempted to “manipulate” or “intimidate” potential witnesses, according to The New York Times.
“[Antonio and Maribel] demonstrated immense irresponsibility and negligence by failing to do what was necessary to ensure that the Jet Set Club’s roof was adequately and expertly repaired,” the statement reads.
The eventuality of Antonio’s arrest has been brewing for some time. Several families of the hundreds deceased, as well as the 180 injured, were officially pressing charges against the night-club boss. Additionally, A local police lieutenant, Virgilio Rafael Cruz Aponte, died in the incident; Aponte’s family stated that they will bring manslaughter charges against the venue’s owners.
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