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Disney World Arrest Tied to 2025 California Fireworks Explosion That Killed Seven

The arrest highlights a wider probe into unsafe pyrotechnics permitting.

Overview

  • Kenneth Chee, arrested Thursday inside Disney’s Hollywood Studios at 351 Studio Drive, is being held at Orange County Jail on a fugitive warrant.
  • Authorities link Chee to a July 2025 warehouse explosion in Yolo County, California, that killed seven people and have charged him with murder, conspiracy, and illegal possession of explosives.
  • Investigators say the warehouse lacked required permits to store fireworks, a failure that raises the risk of a mass blast when large quantities ignite.
  • Six others are in custody in the same case: Samuel Machado, Tammy Machado, Jack Y. Lee, Gary Young Chan Jr., Craig Cutright, and Ronald Botelho II.
  • Deputies reported no link to Disney, and park operations continued as the cross-state investigation into the explosion remains active.