Police investigate home explosion

SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. (WSVN) -- Police continue to search for the tenants who lived in the suspected marijuana grow house that exploded on Saturday.

Witnesses describe seeing several people speeding off in two cars after the blast, including four adults and two children. Officers said Erisbel Herrera and Maylen De Castillo occupied the home that was being operating as a marijuana growhouse. Investigators want to question them.

According to the homeowner's attorney, Daniel Espinosa, his client only had a landlord-tenant relationship with the couple that lived at the house and has been cooperating with police. She provided positive identification for the couple and a criminal investigation is now underway. "The last thing she would've ever suspected, especially knowing that there were two little kids living in the home, was that her home was being used a grow house," Espinosa said.

The attorney for the homeowner of 6355 SW 151st Place, said that is exactly what Miami-Dade Police officers found at the home after an explosion rocked the neighborhood on Saturday morning.

Neighbor Orlando Martinez said the explosion literally ripped the roof off the building before it came back down. He thought it was an earthquake. "When I first came out, I smelled chemicals, and then I could smell the marijuana," said Martinez.

The home was deemed unsafe my Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. The home was even too dangerous for police to count how many marijuana plants were inside.

"One of the witnesses said the oldest child seemed to be unconscious or lifeless when they fled the scene," added Martinez.

"We do believe, based on some information we received," added Espinosa, "that the wife has received medical treatment."

"Investigators at this point are taking statements from neighbors," said Miami-Dade Police Detective Alvaro Zabaleta. "They need to try to gather as much information as possible to start the investigation."

That house has been deemed unsafe.

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