A sign near an entranceway to Walt Disney World in 2023 near Orlando, Fla. Kenneth Chee, the owner of Devastating Pyrotechnics, was arrested Thursday, April 9, 2026, in connection with the deadly blast in Esparto on July 1, 2025, that killed seven people.
Joe Raedle
Getty Images
For Kenneth Chee, a trip to the “Most Magical Place on Earth” quickly shifted from family fun to an arrest on suspicion of mass murder.
Chee, the founder and CEO of a fireworks company that authorities say amounted to a sprawling, illegal pyrotechnics network spanning the length of California, was visiting Disney World’s Hollywood Studios near Lake Buena Vista, Florida, with his family Thursday when he was arrested in connection to last summer’s explosion in Esparto..
Chee was one of at least six people arrested Thursday who are tied to the July 1 explosion at a Yolo County property that stored illegal fireworks. He is expected to face a slate of felony charges including seven counts of murder — one for each person who died in the blast.
The Orange County Corrections Department in Florida confirmed that Chee was arrested at Disney World. It’s not clear exactly where in Hollywood Studios his arrest occurred.
Indictments made by a Yolo County grand jury will be formally announced on Friday. On Thursday, Chee and at least five other people were arrested in connection to the grand jury investigation.
Kenneth Chee is pictured in a mugshot following his arrest on Thursday, April 9, 2026. Orange County Corrections Department Florida
Devastating Pyrotechnics employed the seven people who died in the explosion and was fined more than $200,000 by Cal-Osha for workplace safety violations. The company was also linked to illegal fireworks in Commerce and San Jose.
Chee, a Bay Area optician, has been licensed to work with fireworks in California since 2008, but was ineligible from obtaining a federal explosives permit for his business due to a prior violent felony conviction.
Hollywood Studios is one of several theme parks that make up Walt Disney World near Orlando. Its attractions include rides and experiences based on Disney’s major film franchises, including “Star Wars” and “Toy Story.”
The Bee’s Joe Rubin contributed to this story.
This story was originally published April 9, 2026 at 7:48 PM.
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Daniel Lempres is an investigative reporter at The Sacramento Bee focused on government accountability. Before joining The Bee, his investigations appeared in outlets like the San Francisco Chronicle, the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times.