Owner of Dominican club whose roof collapsed and killed 236 is arrested

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — The owner of an iconic nightclub in the Dominican Republic whose roof collapsed in April and killed 236 people was arrested Thursday along with his sister.

Antonio Espaillat and Maribel Espaillat have not been charged in the case, although authorities have 48 hours to present any charges before a judge.

“Both defendants displayed immense irresponsibility and negligence by failing to physically intervene to prevent the club’s roof from collapsing, as it ultimately did, causing 236 deaths and more than 180 injuries,” the Dominican Republic’s Attorney General’s Office said in a statement.

Prosecutors accused the Espaillats of trying to intimidate or manipulate company employees, adding that they could serve as witnesses in the case. Antonio Espaillat is considered a powerful businessman in the Dominican Republic; he owns upscale entertainment centers and dozens of local radio stations.

Miguel Valerio, the Espaillats’ attorney, told reporters that he expects to have access to the prosecutors’ evidence in upcoming days.

“This is an involuntary homicide,” he said. “Nobody wanted that to happen.”

The Espaillats were arrested after being interrogated for several hours.

Altanto TV, a local digital news channel, posted an interview with a man they identified as former Jet Set employee Gregory Adamés. The channel said he gave prosecutors videos and conversations with Antonio Espaillat in which he warned that the April 7 party shouldn’t be held because the roof could collapse.

Adamés said in a video posted on Instagram that he would hold the Espaillat family responsible if he disappears or is shot or involved in an accident.

“If something happens to me, it’s clear where it came from,” he said. “My intention is not to hurt anyone, only that the truth be known.”

A government-appointed committee that includes international experts is still investigating what caused the roof to collapse.

Crews worked for 53 hours nonstop after arriving on the scene in Santo Domingo shortly after midnight on April 8, rescuing 189 survivors.

The victims included beloved singer Rubby Pérez, who was performing when the roof caved in, and Nelsy Cruz, the governor of Montecristi province and sister of seven-time Major League Baseball All-Star Nelson Cruz.

Also killed was former MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel, who was pulled from the debris but died in hospital, and Dominican baseball player Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera.

Other victims include a retired U.N. official, New York-based fashion designer Martín Polanco, an Army captain who left behind four young girls, and three employees at Grupo Popular, a financial services company, including the president of AFP Popular Bank and his wife.

The relatives of several survivors have filed lawsuits against Antonio Espaillat.

The club, which had operated for nearly five decades, was known for its Monday night merengue parties that attracted international celebrities and high-profile Dominicans.