News Releases

The defendants’ bail hearing is set for March 17

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman announced today that Gary Weisenberg and Matthew Weisenberg, owners of S&W Atlas Iron and Metal Corp., have been remanded into county jail without bail until their upcoming bail hearing on March 17. The two face a 25-count indictment, including charges stemming from the devastating August 12, 2024, explosion at their Watts scrap metal facility, located next to Jordan High School.

“The young students at Jordan High School should never have been put in harm’s way,” District Attorney Hochman said. “This case is progressing toward justice for the children, educators, and community members who were endangered by this explosion. No business has the right to recklessly jeopardize public safety, and we will continue to hold those responsible accountable.”

The indictment charges the company and its owners, Gary Weisenberg (dob 8/27/46) of Encino and Matthew Weisenberg (dob 1/28/88) of Los Angeles with 21 felony counts of knowingly disposing hazardous waste at a site with no permit and one felony count of deposit of hazardous waste. They are also each facing two misdemeanor counts of failure to maintain or operate a facility to minimize the possibility of a fire or explosion and one count of public nuisance, a misdemeanor.

The company and its owners were each additionally charged with failure to operate a facility to minimize possibility of fire, explosion or any unplanned sudden or non-sudden release of hazardous waste/hazardous waste constituents to air, soil, or surface water, a misdemeanor.

The defendants pleaded not guilty during their arraignment in Department 100 of the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center. Their bail hearing is set for March 17, Dept. 127 of the same courthouse in case 24CJCF05804.

Located in the South Los Angeles/Watts area, the facility is adjacent to Jordan High School and the Jordan Downs Housing Development. The privately held metal recycling facility that processes scrap metal, as well as electronic waste, has been in business for approximately 70 years. The complaint alleges that despite its long-standing presence, the facility’s operations have increasingly violated environmental and safety regulations as far back as 2017.

Soil samples taken from an area of the high school showed excessive concentrations of lead and zinc. Additional samples taken at Atlas found excessive concentrations of seven metals. Metal debris allegedly from Atlas has been found at the high school.

On Aug. 12, 2024, at about 8:20 a.m., a fiery explosion occurred at the facility when students at the nearby school were arriving for their first day of classes. No one was injured in the blast.

The case is being prosecuted by Deputy District Attorneys Daniel Wright and Cynthia Valenzuela of LADA’s Environmental Crimes Division and was investigated by the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation, the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s Health Hazardous Materials Division and the California Department of Toxic Substances Control.