Watch CBS News

Pair Charged With Blowing Up Apartment With Hash-Oil Lab

WALNUT CREEK (CBS SF) -- Two men who nearly died when a Walnut Creek apartment building blew up last year have been charged with causing the explosion by manufacturing butane hash oil, police said Tuesday.

Contra Costa County prosecutors confirmed today both men have been charged with three felonies each for the Oct. 31, 2014, explosion in the 1500 block of Sunnyvale Avenue: drug manufacturing, starting a fire causing injury and starting a fire in an inhabited structure.

Daniel Burgess, 34, of Danville, was arraigned on the charges in November and released on his own recognizance. William Brown, 37, of Oakland, remains at large and has a warrant for his arrest, police said.

The two men are accused of manufacturing butane hash oil, causing an explosion at about 10 a.m. that destroyed the apartment, leaving the entire six-unit complex uninhabitable and critically injuring both men.

They were airlifted to the University of California at Davis Burn Center in Sacramento, where they spent up to eight months recovering. The case was finally forwarded to the district attorney's office in November and both men were charged, police said.

Arrest warrants were issued for each of them. Burgess turned himself in and is scheduled to next appear in court on Jan. 12.

William Brown Walnut Creek hash-oil explosion suspect
William Brown, 37, wanted for his role in a 2014 Walnut Creek hash-oil lab explosion (WCPD).

Police have released a photo of Brown and are asking the public for help in finding him. Anyone with information about Brown's location has been asked to call Walnut Creek police at (925) 943-5844.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.