A Temple City man pleaded not guilty Thursday to murder charges in connection with the deaths of four people killed in a fiery explosion in Irwindale along with a fifth person who died in a fire in South El Monte at what authorities called illegal cannabis laboratories.
Ted Chien, 53, is charged with five counts of murder in connection with the Oct. 9, 2023, deaths of Yi Luo, 47, of Baldwin Park; Xin Chen, 59 of Rosemead; Guangqi Fu, 35, of Chino; and Quizhuo Liang, 35, of Monterey Park, at the warehouse in the 1400 block of Arrow Highway in Irwindale that was allegedly being used for honey oil extraction, and the Nov. 18, 2024, death of Bordin "Tony" Sikarin, 57, of Buena Park, at the South El Monte lab, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
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The murder charges against Chien include the special circumstance allegation of multiple murders. Prosecutors are expected to decide later whether to seek the death penalty against Chien, who is also charged with two felony counts of arson causing great bodily injury, three felony counts of maintaining a place for selling or using a controlled substance and eight felony counts of manufacturing a controlled substance.
Chien's alleged partner, Han Quan Jiao, 55, of Rosemead, pleaded not guilty Thursday to one count of murder in connection with Sikarin's death, along with one count of arson causing great bodily injury, three counts of maintaining a place for selling or using a controlled substance and eight counts of manufacturing a controlled substance. He could face up to life in prison if convicted as charged, according to the District Attorney's Office.
Chien was ordered to be held without bail, while Jiao remains jailed in lieu of $2 million bail.
Both men are due back in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom Oct. 7, with a date scheduled to be set then for a hearing to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to allow the case against them to proceed to trial.
Chien and Jao are accused of continuing the illicit operation to illegally extract and distribute concentrated cannabis in Los Angeles County despite the deaths of five employees, according to the District Attorney's Office.
Four other defendants, who allegedly worked for Chien and Jiao and produced concentrated cannabis, are charged with drug-related counts, according to the District Attorney's Office.
Xiaolong Deng, 36, Chengyan Xu, 61, Christopher Reyes, 30, and Frank Herrera, 35, each face one count each of conspiracy to manufacture a controlled substance.
Xu is also charged with two counts of manufacturing, compounding or producing a controlled substance, while Deng, Reyes and Herrera were charged with one count of the same offense, according to the District Attorney's Office.
Deng, Xu, Reyes and Herrera pleaded not guilty shortly after the case against them was filed. They are due back in court Sept. 24.
Deng, Reyes and Herrera could each face up to seven years in prison if convicted as charged, while Xu faces a maximum of eight years and eight months, according to the District Attorney's Office.
"This case shows the deadly and disastrous results when illegal cannabis operations recklessly put greed over the safety of their employees and neighbors," District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement announcing the charges last month. "Cannabis may be legal in California, but this kind of high-risk, illegal activity is not. These drug-trafficking organizations have no place in our communities and my office will continue to work with law enforcement at the local, state and federal levels to hold those accountable who engage in this illicit trade."
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