A man died by suicide in a Maryland condo explosion that injured 14, police say
Police are launching a criminal investigation into the explosion.
By Sheryl Lawrence and Rob Frehse, CNN
A Maryland condo owner died by suicide in an explosion that caused the building to partially collapse and injure 14 others earlier this week, police said Friday.
Juan Pablo Marshall Quizon, 36, died from smoke inhalation and burns, said Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones, citing the medical examiner’s office.
Quizon’s body was found by K9 units and a fire rescue team searching through the rubble on Thursday morning.
Quizon, who purchased his Gaithersburg unit in August, had indicated to several people that he intended to take his own life, Jones said during a news conference Friday.
“We have no information to believe that Mr. Quizon intended for other individuals to be injured or harmed in this particular incident,” Jones said.
Quizon’s mother had reported him missing on Wednesday, the day of the explosion, Jones said.
“No one from the family knew that he owned or resided at this particular location,” he said.
It’s still unclear what triggered the explosion. About 100 fire and rescue personnel responded to the scene.
Fourteen people were injured, kicking off a multi-day search-and-rescue operation, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service officials said.
At least 10 people, including four children, were taken to the hospital with injuries ranging from mild to critical, Montgomery County Fire Chief Scott Goldstein said during a news conference on Wednesday. At least two people were treated at the scene and declined to go to the hospital, he said.
Fire crews battled a “gas-fed fire” in the building’s basement Wednesday as utility workers attempted to shut off natural gas to the facility, Goldstein said.
Two condo buildings, each with six units, were impacted by the fire, the fire chief said previously. Two other buildings were evacuated as authorities attempted to account for the residents of nine affected apartments.
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CNN’s Isa Kaufman-Geballe, Elliot C. McLaughlin and Kristina Sgueglia contributed to this report.
