The Yolo County DA files new details in the Esparto case. Here’s what to know
As part of the bail hearing April 16 for those charged with murder in connection to the deadly Esparto fireworks facility explosion, Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig filed a document with previously unreported details. The 10-page motion to deny bail reveals that fireworks linked to defendants in the Esparto case killed two young people in separate incidents. The document also alleges a former sheriff’s lieutenant lied to the FBI during a 2022 investigation of the Esparto compound.
Here’s the full story: Bail documents reveal two other fatalities linked to Esparto fireworks case
Here are key takeaways:
• Two additional deaths: Prosecutors linked an 8-year-old girl killed by a misfired firework in Buena Park on July 4, 2025, and an 18-year-old man decapitated by a device on Treasure Island during a 2024 New Year’s celebration to fireworks trafficked through the Esparto compound.
• FBI tipped off in 2022: The FBI was alerted to the compound three years before the July 1, 2025, blast that killed seven. Prosecutors allege Lt. Sam Machado lied to an FBI agent, derailing the investigation. He is one of the defendants facing murder charges.
• Defendants denied bail — for now: Five defendants — Kenneth Chee, Gary Chan, Jack Lee, Machado and Doug Tollefsen — were remanded to custody, but the judge left open the possibility of bail in the future.
• Tollefsen returned in camouflage: Prosecutors say Tollefsen visited the compound the day of the blast, saw workers without safety equipment and left. The next day, he allegedly returned in head-to-toe camouflage to replace locks on the property.
• Alleged efforts to rebuild: Even after the explosion, intercepted communications show Chee and Tollefsen sought to set up operations in Nevada and continued to traffic in illegal fireworks, prosecutors said.
• Families demand accountability: Victims’ relatives gave emotional testimony. Jhony Ramos Sr., who lost two sons, questioned whether others in the Sheriff’s Office knew about the operation: “More people knew about this than just this guy Machado.”