SPRING VALLEY, N.Y. (1010 WINS) — Two building department employees as well as a rabbi and his son are among six people facing charges in connection with a fatal fire at an adult care facility in Spring Valley.
Rockland County District Attorney Tom Walsh, who launched a criminal probe into the deadly fire three months ago, announced Tuesday that Rabbi Nathaniel Sommer and his son, Aaron, are charged with manslaughter, arson, assault, and reckless endangerment.
Both are affiliated with the nursing home. Bail was set for Sommer and his son at an arraignment Tuesday. They are due back in court July 2.
Wayne Ballard and Raymond Canario, who had been employed at the Spring Valley building department, are charged with offering a false instrument for filing falsifying business records. They are due back in court July 13.
Ballard was hired in 2019 to run the village's public works and building departments.
Canario was the village's chief building inspector, according to a LinkedIn profile.
Denise Kerr of New York City is charged with reckless endangerment "involving her conduct at the Evergreen Court Adult Home."
Manuel Lema of Pomona is charged with one count of criminal impersonation and obstructing governmental administration in connection with "the alleged criminal acts associated with a call to Rockland County 44 Control involving the Evergreen Home for Adults," Walsh said.
"This investigation is not over and will continue into the events that led to this tragic catastrophe and underlying governmental misfeasance," Walsh said. "The charges against these six individuals will be presented to a Rockland County grand jury for indictment."
Authorities did not reveal what role each person played in the incident, citing the ongoing investigation.
"The matter is still under investigation, we don't want to get into any details until the matter has been presented to the grand jury and perhaps not even until the trial," Walsh said. "We don't want to do anything today that would impede or impact adversely on the prosecution."
The fire broke out at the at the Evergreen Court Home for Adults on Lafayette Street around 1 a.m. on March 23. More than 100 residents were evacuated safely, but a 79-year-old later died at a hospital following the fire.
Volunteer firefighter Jared Lloyd, a 35-year-old father of two, was also killed when parts of the facility collapsed as he was inside trying to rescue residents from the inferno.
Spring Valley fire officials previously said the fire alarm system at the facility was on “test” mode when flames erupted.
The arrests follow last week's raid by the feds on Spring Valley Village Hall in which dozens of boxes of documents were seized.
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