Ohio landlord charged in fume deaths of 4 tenants

[The Straight Story]

Ohio landlord charged in fume deaths of 4 tenants

TOLEDO, Ohio — An Ohio landlord is being charged with reckless homicide in the carbon monoxide deaths of four tenants who died from fumes coming from a portable generator.

Investigators say Steven Snow gave the generator to the family living in his rental house because it didn't have heat or electricity. They were using it to power a space heater in the home near downtown Toledo.

Prosecutors said Friday that a grand jury indicted Snow on four counts. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Snow told The Associated Press on Friday that he's still grieving the deaths and that all he was doing was trying to help the family.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/ohio-news/ohio-landlord-charged-in-fume-deaths-of-4ohio-landlord-charged-in-fume-deaths-of-4-tenants-1124583.html

[angstlessk]

1. and WHO gets charged with deaths when they freeze because the electricity is cut off?

CRUCIFY the little guy...to save the MONOPOLIES...he never meant for them to die...it was NOT HIS FAULT the electricity was cut....damn!

[malaise]

4. I agree 100%

This was not his fault - lock up the utility company who turned off their electricity

[LisaL]

8. The electricity in that house was turned off since 2008.

They moved into a house that had no electricity.

[LisaL]

9. The electricity in that house was cut off since 2008.

The now deceased moved into a house that had no electricity.

[alphafemale]

2. If I were to let someone use my car am I going to be charged if they drive it into a tree?

I really don't see how it is his fault that they used the generator inside.

[BlueJazz]

3. Geez...You put the generator outside and run the power cord inside.

Damn...I thought everybody knew that.

[Scruffy1]

5. I have seen near death from generators that were outside.

Wind can create negative pressure inside a house that will draw in co gas. Luckily in that case the neighbors got them out in time. I also had the privilege of removing four frozen bodies from a car after it went in the ditch and they left the motor running. We had a similar case in Minneapolis just
two years ago of a father and son dying from CO running a generator inside of a house. Besides that every winter we have faulty furnaces kill some.
It looks like Ohio does not require CO detectors, which is stupid. Twenty five bucks a pop. I think that the owner of the property clearly demonstrated criminal negligence. The house had no heat or electricity and he knowingly let someone live there. If he's the one that put the generator in the house he might have just as well used a gun. With ownership comes responsibility.
Why is it always assumed that everyone "knows" about CO. It is not a subject taught in any public school that I know of and the only info is usually a warning buried in the instruction manual of a
gas operated appliance. Many living in urban poverty have never even owned a lawn mower. CO is odorless and colorless and the effects are cumalative.

Just because I happen to be a licensed building engineer with a class A license, I would never assume that everyone in the building knows how things work. Safety is my responsibility not theirs. When you own a rental property the same applies.

[BlueJazz]

7. What you say is true. I assumed (perhaps erroneously) that people knew..

...about carbon monoxide from just...ah..being alive and learning stuff.

Question: I've run a generator outside of a house before. I put it about 15-20 ft. away.
Is that far enough?

Thanks

[LisaL]

10. Yes, police say he put that generator into the kitchen.

"Snow brought over a portable generator and set it up in the kitchen to help warm the house, Sgt. Toney said. He then allegedly started the generator for the family."
http://www.foxtoledo.com/dpp/news/local/Landlord-indicted-on-4-counts-of-reckless-homicide

[RegieRocker]

6. B.P., I wonder if they will get the same treatment?