Officials said the wedding guest boyfriend had carefully blown up the bride’s home in Cicero, Illinois.
An explosion at Cicero, near eight miles west of Chicago, killed one person and evacuated 11 families. According to News10.
“I ran in my wedding dress here like an alley, looking from my neighbor’s garden,” Eleni Vretz said. I said WGN9. “It was all smoke at that point.”
When the explosion occurred, all the families living in the house were attending the ceremony. The fact that he remains found in debris from the scene was later identified as Anthony Avila Puebla, 31, officials said, News10 reported.
Through the investigation, authorities said they found that Avila Puebla had a connection with one of her relatives who lives in the residence. (Related: Wild Video shows the aftermath of a massive explosion outside Maryland, leaving two people dead and millions of damages.)
Illinois couple’s home explodes on their wedding day. Authorities say the suspect was the guest’s boyfriend. https://t.co/jbt0gdwfqt
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Police say Avila Puebla was observed in a vehicle parking lot half blocks away from the residence. He is said to have taken a five-gallon jug from the car before entering. He later reportedly observed that at the time he left the house with an empty jug and retrieved more jugs before returning inside.
Authorities said the explosion occurred, and Avila Puebla has not been observed leaving the house, Local10 reported. Police said Avila Puebla was deemed responsible for the explosion after investigators determined the jug was holding flammable material.
Local10 reported that nearby structures caused a fire due to the explosion, causing another building to suffer mild damage, affecting 11 units and their families, Local10 reported citing investigators.
Vrettos said WGN9 had four cats and two mothers.
“Like they all got along, they were the perfect little bunch. I thought I’d have them for years, they were all so young, and they were my homes I call them. So now I don’t have a home and I don’t have them as my home on top of that,” she told the outlet. “It is the most devastating because it gives me comfort through that darkness. My father passed away a few years ago, so we don’t have a home for his memory. There is a lot to be sad.”
The 32-year-old said she recently assumed ownership of the residence with her brother. The two had planned to help with renovations to lift the burden on the family, but they were not covered when the house exploded as they were in the middle of a home insurance relocation.
Authorities have not determined any motives and are continuing to investigate.