Overview
- Six of the eight indicted defendants returned to Yolo County court Thursday for continued arraignments, with the judge denying bail for Sam Machado and, according to ABC7, for Jack Lee and Douglas Tollefsen, while Craig Cutright’s bail was set at $500,000 and Tammy Machado remained free after a not-guilty plea.
- Relatives of the seven men killed addressed the court Thursday and urged the judge to refuse bail, describing the lasting strain on their families.
- Five defendants face second-degree murder charges tied to the July 1, 2025 blast, including Sam Machado, Jack Lee, Gary Chan Jr., Douglas Tollefsen, and Kenneth Chee.
- Investigators say about one million pounds of illegal fireworks were stored at the Esparto property the day of the explosion, which killed seven workers and ignited a large wildfire.
- Kenneth Chee was arrested in Florida last week and faces extradition to California, and the six defendants who appeared Thursday are due back in court April 22 for a consolidated hearing.