3 Yolo County officials with ties to Esparto fireworks explosion arrested, records show

Three Yolo County officials with ties to the Esparto fireworks explosion that killed seven people last year have been arrested, jail records show.

Sutter County jail records show Sam Machado and his wife, Tammy Machado, along with Craig Cutright, were arrested on Thursday on behalf of the Yolo County Sheriff's Office and booked into the Monroe Detention Center in Woodland. Tammy Machado has since posted bail, while the other two remained in custody as of Thursday evening.

Sam Machado was being held without bail. Yolo County jail records show he faces seven counts of murder, four counts of conspiracy and more than a dozen other charges related to the explosion.

Cutright faces four counts of conspiracy and several other explosives-related charges, records show.

Details on charges for Tammy Machado were not immediately available, but the Yolo County District Attorney's Office said it will announce indictments on Friday, formally charging suspects in the July 1, 2025, explosion at Devastating Pyrotechnics LLC.

The Machados are both employees of the Yolo County Sheriff's Office and own the property where the unpermitted fireworks warehouse sat, and where the explosion occurred. Sam Machado is a lieutenant with the sheriff's office, while Tammy Machado worked in an administrative role.

Cutright is a volunteer Esparto firefighter who owns a second fireworks company listed with the same address as Devastating Pyrotechnics, Blackstar Fireworks, Inc.

The arrests come weeks after a Yolo County Grand Jury report determined that numerous top local officials "knew about the fireworks businesses" and "none of them took action." The report found that various officials "were aware of illegal fireworks operations at the site for at least three years prior to the incident."

Last August, nearly two months after the explosion, CBS News Sacramento made a similar discovery through a Public Records Act request. Email exchanges between Yolo County building officials detailed that many people, including the Esparto fire chief, were aware of what was happening on the property.

Also earlier this year, Cal Fire completed its own investigation into the explosion, alleging illegal activities were uncovered.   

The Esparto explosion claimed the lives of seven people who were working at the Devastating Pyrotechnics facility at the time:

Angel Mathew Voller, 18, of Stockton, CA
Carlos Javier Rodriguez-Mora, 43, of San Andreas, CA
Neil Justin Li, 41, of San Francisco, CA
Joel Jeremias Melendez, 28, of Sacramento, CA
Christopher Goltiao Bocog, 45, of San Francisco, CA
Jesus Manaces Ramos, 18, of San Pablo, CA
Jhony Ernesto Ramos, 22, of San Pablo, CA