Spring Valley employees back in court to face charges connected to fatal Evergreen fire

A Spring Valley employee was back in court Tuesday to face charges connected to a fire that claimed two lives.

News 12 Staff

Jul 13, 2021, 9:16 PM

Updated 1,247 days ago

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The chief and the assistant building inspectors for Spring Valley were in court Tuesday for their alleged roles in the Evergreen fire in late March that claimed the life of 35-year-old firefighter Jared Lloyd and one resident.
Wayne Ballard and Raymond Canario are accused of filing false inspection reports to the state years before the fire took place.
But building inspection documents that investigators took from Village Hall this past June could reveal more.
The pair are among six people charged, including Rabbi Nathaniel Sommer and his son, Aaron, as well as two employees of the adult home - Director Denise Kerr and Emanuel Lema.
The Sommers already pleaded not guilty to manslaughter, arson and assault.
They're accused of violating fire safety codes by using a 20-pound propane torch to clean the facility's ovens for Passover and not monitoring the kitchen.
Kerr is accused of knowing the rabbis didn't have proper permits and failing to follow safety regulations.
A warrant is still out for her arrest.
Lema has also pleaded not guilty.
He's charged with calling the county's fire dispatch center under a fake name to put the adult home's fire alarm on test mode during the cleaning and never calling back to reconnect the system.
The alarms stayed offline for eight hours, according to the criminal complaint against him.
The Rockland District Attorney's Office is expected to bring it before a grand jury who could formally charge all or just some of those accused.
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