THE BRONX — A suspect in the explosion at a Kingsbridge marijuana lab that killed FDNY Battalion Chief Michael Fahy said he had no idea the house contained weed.
"I was not aware of any marijuana in the house," suspect Julio Salcedo, 34, told police, according to court documents. "I only go to the second floor to take a shower."
The second floor of the building at 304 W. 234th St., which exploded on the morning of Sept. 27, had been turned into a sprawling hydroponic weed house, which officials believe was the cause of the deadly blast.
Although Salcedo did tell police he had seen hoses going from a container in the house's bathtub into three locked rooms on the second floor, he maintained that he had no idea what they were doing there.
"I don't know what it was and don't find it odd," he told police.
Salcedo and fellow suspect Garivaldi Castillo, 32, were both indicted on assault charges in court Wednesday for their suspected roles in the explosion that killed Fahy, who worked out of the 19th battalion and was remembered as a rising star in the Fire Department.
Salcedo and Castillo both pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. Salcedo is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 20 for a bail application, while Castillo is due back on Nov. 23.
Both suspects could face up to 25 years in prison if convicted of the top charge against them, according to the Bronx District Attorney's Office.
The defense attorneys for Salcedo and Castillo both maintained that the charges against their clients should not be upgraded to murder, despite the death of Fahy.
Castillo's attorney Daniel McGuinness stressed that the investigation into the case was still inconclusive, and Salcedo's attorney Dawn Florio argued that there was "no connection between my client and the death of the firefighter."
