VIDEO: A second person has died following a massive explosion at a Bell Gardens apartment building earlier this week. Christopher Benitez, 24, died at the hospital Thursday just after midnight, according to investigators. He suffered serious burns throughout most of his body.
Benitez is the older brother of 13-year-old Carlos Hernandez, whose body was discovered in the rubble on Wednesday. Another boy, an 11-year-old, was rescued from the building. He suffered minor injuries and has since been released from the hospital.
Investigators believe the brothers were assembling a homemade firework or explosive device when the blast occurred, said LASD Lt. Michael Modica during at a news conference outside the apartment building. “What we do know and what we do suspect is an energetic powder that was used to create the massive explosion,” said Modica.
