A resident of Commerce Township, Michigan, Noor Noel Kestou was taken into custody at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Saturday as he attempted to board a plane to Hong Kong. According to authorities, Kestou, 31, had been charged with involuntary manslaughter following an explosion and fire at a suburban Detroit business where he owned and operated Goo, a distributor for the vaping industry.
The incident took place on March 4th in Clinton Township, where Goo was located in a building housing over 100,000 vape pens. Authorities revealed that butane canisters were delivered to the site shortly before the explosion occurred. The blast ejected canisters up to two miles away, and more than half of the stock remained in the building when the fire ignited. Turner Lee Salter, 19 years old, was killed by a nitrous oxide canister that traveled almost a quarter of a mile due to the blast.
According to Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido, officials were unsure about Kestou’s intentions when he tried to flee the country on April 20th. However, due to his ownership of Goo and his involvement in the incident from the beginning of investigations into the fire and explosion at his business premises in September 2022, he had always been considered a suspect. Goo obtained an occupancy permit from Clinton Township allowing it to operate as a retail store selling vape-related merchandise.
Following his arrest at JFK Airport on Saturday night and subsequent return to Michigan on Wednesday morning, Kestou was released on $500,000 bond while wearing an electronic tracking device as part of his release conditions. A probable cause hearing is scheduled for May 7th at Clinton Township District Court. James Thomas refused comment on behalf of Kestou’s legal team during this time of uncertainty surrounding his involvement in this tragic incident.
In conclusion, Noor Noel Kestou’s actions following an explosion and fire at his business have led him down this path of being apprehended while attempting to flee the country for Hong Kong on April 20th. His ownership of Goo made him a suspect from day one in this investigation into this unfortunate incident involving nitrous oxide canisters that caused harm leading up until now where he awaits trial with unanswered questions surrounding him involvement in this event still looming over him