SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — A former worker at a nightclub where 236 people died in a roof collapse one year ago told a court Monday that the establishment’s owners had been warned about the building’s dangerous condition.
Gregory Adames gave testimony against brother and sister Antonio and Maribel Espaillat, who face charges of involuntary manslaughter and involuntary assault and battery in connection with the deadly incident at the well-known Jet Set club in Santo Domingo.
“They knew because I sent them photos, I sent them videos of all the problems that were there. That shouldn’t have happened; not a single person should have died there,” Adames said.
Legal representatives for the families of those killed requested that the court upgrade the charges against the siblings to voluntary manslaughter.
“We hope that happens,” Jean Carlos Martínez Segura, who represents nine families, told The Associated Press.
A conviction on voluntary manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, while involuntary manslaughter has a maximum penalty of two years.
The court proceedings that began Monday are scheduled to resume Friday, with a judge ultimately determining whether sufficient evidence exists to proceed to trial. Family members of the victims have expressed frustration with procedural delays and the pace of the legal process.
According to prosecutors, hundreds of pieces of evidence point to the siblings’ culpability. The pair were taken into custody last June.
Miguel Valerio, the Espaillats’ attorney, told reporters after their arrests: “Nobody wanted that to happen.”
Authorities have alleged that the Espaillats attempted to pressure or influence their workers. Antonio Espaillat is regarded as an influential business figure who operates high-end entertainment venues and owns numerous local radio stations.
The nightclub was packed with hundreds of patrons, including many prominent Dominican citizens, attending a concert on April 8, 2025, when the ceiling gave way. Among the fatalities were singer Rubby Pérez; Nelsy Cruz, the governor of Montecristi province and sister of Major League Baseball All-Star Nelson Cruz; and former MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel. The collapse left more than 100 people injured, and emergency responders worked continuously to rescue survivors from the debris.
