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Two rabbis pleaded not guilty Thursday to multiple felony charges in connection with a March assisted living facility fire in which a firefighter and a resident died.
The deadly fire at the Evergreen Court Home for Adults in Spring Valley, NY, allegedly was tied to the Passover practice of torch-cleaning ovens.
Rabbi Nathaniel Sommer and his son, Aaron Sommer, were indicted on multiple felony charges, including second-degree manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, fourth-degree arson, second-degree reckless endangerment and three assaults, according to the Rockland / Westchester Journal News and other media accounts.
The two were arraigned Thursday in Rockland County Court after being charged in June in connection with the March 23 fire that claimed the life of a Spring Valley Volunteer Fire Department firefighter and a 79-year old resident. The rabbis are accused of violating multiple state fire safety regulations, including not having permits to use high-powered torches and requesting that the community’s fire alarm system be taken offline during the cleaning.
Four others were charged, too.
Spring Valley Building Department head Wayne Ballard and Chief Inspector Raymond Canario are both charged with misdemeanors of first-degree offering false instrument and falsifying business records for allegedly filing false reports on fire inspections.
Former Evergreen Executive Director Denise Kerr is charged with a misdemeanor second-degree reckless endangerment for allowing the Sommers to use the torches without proper permits and for not meeting other state fire code regulations.
Manuel Lema, who worked in housekeeping and maintenance, is charged with criminal impersonation and obstructing government administration for using a false name when requesting that the Evergreen Court fire alarm system be taken offline for the pre-Passover cleaning. No one called to turn the notification system back on.
All charged have pleaded not guilty.
The Sommers reportedly conducted the pre-Passover ritual for years in the region to make commercial kitchens kosher for the religious holiday. Flames broke out just after 1 a.m. A portion of the building collapsed as firefighters battled the blaze.
