Construction company, owner, foreman face criminal charges for garage collapse at Lakewood apartment building

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The Cuyahoga County Grand Jury indicted Atlas Masonry Restoration and Upkeep, their proprietor and the foreman for his or her roles within the December 2021 parking storage collapse on the Marine Towers West condominium constructing in Lakewood.

Proprietor Elmer Mekker, 55, foreman Charles Hawley, 52, and the corporate are all charged with one rely of inducing panic. An arraignment date has not but been set.

“It’s a miracle that the recklessness displayed, not solely by Atlas Masonry however the proprietor and foreman in cost, didn’t end in severe damage or dying,” mentioned Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley. “Their poor choices put lots of of lives in danger, they usually have to be held accountable for that.”

In accordance with court docket data, the corporate began engaged on the parking storage pillars round 3 p.m. on Dec. 22.

Employees eliminated the concrete round two help pillars on the decrease stage of the parking storage, leaving solely uncovered rebar to help the construction, mentioned O’Malley.

On Dec. 23, about 18 hours after the work had been accomplished, the primary flooring of the parking storage collapsed by means of to the sub-floor beneath, mentioned O’Malley.

O’Malley added there have been no accidents, however 60 seconds earlier than the collapse, an individual exited the parking storage of their automobile.

Lakewood law enforcement officials mentioned the corporate had no plans to brace or shore the pillars through the restore work and no constructing permits had been obtained.

“On the day of the collapse, I dedicated that the Metropolis of Lakewood wouldn’t relaxation till we acquired to the underside of what occurred,” mentioned Lakewood Mayor Meghan F. George, who additionally serves because the Metropolis’s Security Director. “Our exhaustive investigation revealed that the collapse was no accident. In actuality, it was attributable to outrageous conduct by Atlas Building and its management, who had zero regard for the protection of the residents of Marine Towers West.”

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