A judge is allowing the man accused in a deadly home explosion and fire in San Francisco's Sunset District to be on restrictive house detention.
The decision was made Friday during a hearing for Darron Price. The 53-year-old man has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, manufacturing a controlled substance, four counts of reckless burning, two counts of child endangerment and one count of elder abuse, according to the district attorney's office.
Investigators sifting through the rubble of the destroyed home on 22nd Avenue found evidence of illegal narcotics manufacturing, according to the district attorney's office.
Prosecutors noted police found large butane tanks, an oven and jars full of solvents in the rubble, all items police say are used in manufacturing hash oil.
According to prosecutors, the caregiver for Price's disabled wife, Malawi Thunyapoon, may have accidentally ignited the explosion when she started a clothes dryer in the house.
Thunyapoon escaped with severe burns. Price's wife Rita, who was mostly immobile after a stroke years ago, died in the fire.
In court, assistant District Attorney Robert Perkins argued that Price should be held without bail. According to the seven-page motion to detain, Perkins wrote, "Defendant's alleged grossly negligent decision to operate an unlicensed hash oil lab placed his entire neighborhood at risk. For this reason, the court should detain the defendant because his conduct poses a great risk to public safety."
Superior Court Judge Victor Hwang ruled that the explosion was clearly deadly and Price's alleged actions leading up to the explosion were reckless, but he did not find that Price intended to kill anyone and hasn't threatened anyone since, meaning he is not considered a danger to the public. For those reasons, he released him on house arrest under several restrictions.
“We are very relieved that Mr. Price is going to be released," public defender Sierra Villaran said. "That process is going to start today. It is a process that can take several days before everything is in place."
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The biggest challenge is finding a house to stay in within a 50-mile radius. In court, Villaran said Price's closest relative is a sister in Lake Tahoe.
Price will also be allowed to continue seeing his wife's two teenage children, something prosecutors were trying to block.
"He can start participating in the arrangements for the funeral for Ms. Price and also be connected with his children and support them at this time," Villaran said.
Price, who has duel citizenship, was also ordered to hand over his U.S. and Australian passports immediately. He became emotional in court when explaining that those documents, along with everything else, were in the house when it exploded.
Price will be allowed to visit what remains of the house but only if accompanied by his attorney.
