A pre-trial hearing for the building owner and business operators named in last year’s Boyd Street fire and explosions near the perimeter of Little Tokyo has been continued until Aug. 13, it was learned on Friday.
Steve Sungho Lee, owner of structures at 325 and 327 E. Boyd St., and five other defendants face multiple criminal counts related to the blaze that injured 12 firefighters who responded to the emergency. Other defendants include Smoke Tokes, Raheel Lakhany, SL Property Management II, L and H Limited, and L and HM Ltd. Partnership.
Last November, Smoke Tokes owner Lakhany and Green Buddha owner Shafaq Sattar pleaded no contest to four municipal code violations involving improper storage of flammable materials and other fire code violations.
Under the plea deal with the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, Lakhany and Sattar agreed to cease operating at the location of the fire. Subsequently, the Smoke Tokes shop roughly one block away at 330 E. 3rd St. was among the businesses damaged in the June 8 fire that damaged the three-story building at the corner of Third and Los Angeles streets in Little Tokyo.
Community organizations are following the legal proceedings closely in an effort to help prevent the recurrence of such catastrophes in the future.