The Associated Press
By JIM FITZGERALD
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Two firefighters poured gasoline down a firehouse drain, leading to an explosion a few blocks away that badly burned two people, a prosecutor said Tuesday.
Both firefighters were indicted on charges of assault, official misconduct, environmental crimes and other offenses, District Attorney Jeanine Pirro said.
Paul Cappello, 37, and Miguel Valle, 44, pleaded not guilty at their arraignments and were released on $5,000 bail.
The men poured gasoline from a fireboat down a slop sink at the Sleepy Hollow fire headquarters in 2004, Pirro said. They were allegedly getting rid of the gas because it had been contaminated with water.
The gasoline flowed through the sewer system to a public housing complex. Vapors were ignited later the same day by two maintenance workers using an electric pump. The explosion left both workers badly burned.
Cappello was the assistant fire chief before resigning after the explosion. His lawyer would not comment beyond noting that his client had pleaded not guilty.
Valle’s lawyer said his client was an ambulance driver and a firefighter and is “an individual who has spent his life aiding people in need.”
The most serious charge in the indictment is second-degree assault, which carries a maximum of 2 1/3 to seven years in prison.