NYC Building Manager Dies While Awaiting Trial After Deadly Explosion: Reports

EAST VILLAGE, NY — A man facing manslaughter charges in connection with the deadly 2015 gas explosion in the East Village died last month before facing trial.

Michael Hrynenko Jr., one of five people facing charges in connection with the blast that killed two people, died on Aug. 25, according to an online obituary. The New York Post first reported news of his death.

Hrynenko and his mother Maria Hrynenko were the building manager and the owner, respectively, of two East Village properties that exploded in 2015. The blast killed two and injured a dozen more. Prosecutors have blamed the explosion on a shoddy gas delivery system illegally set up by the Hrynenkos, a contractor and two plumbers to bypass official inspections.

It was unclear on Tuesday morning how Hrynenko, 31, died. Patch was not immediately able to contact an attorney representing the Hrynenkos.

His mother Maria Hrynenko, 57, is facing charges of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. All five defendants had pleaded not guilty to the charges filed against them. They are next scheduled to appear in court next week. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Image credit: Chris Hondros / Staff / Getty Images News