Orange County prosecutors have widened their criminal probe into the Garden Grove GKN Aerospace chemical tank crisis to include possible price gouging and predatory attorney practices, while ordering records preserved.
Orange County prosecutors have widened their criminal investigation into the Garden Grove chemical tank crisis at GKN Aerospace, adding possible price gouging and predatory attorney practices to the review.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said the company has been ordered to preserve records tied to the incident. The probe began after the May 21 chemical emergency, when a tank at the facility began heating up and emitting toxic fumes.
The incident prompted evacuations of tens of thousands of residents across Orange County and led state leaders to declare a state of emergency and warn against price gouging.
By May 26, authorities said the catastrophic explosion risk had been eliminated, and by May 27 all evacuation orders had been lifted. Even so, the criminal investigation is continuing as prosecutors examine both the original tank failure and how residents may have been treated during the response.
The widening inquiry follows an earlier DA announcement on May 24, when investigators opened a criminal case and launched a tipline for information related to the crisis.
Officials have not said whether any charges will be filed. Open questions remain about what caused the tank to overheat and whether maintenance or safety failures played a role.
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