Investigation continues in Talavera house explosion
LAS CRUCES — On a day when the cause of last month's house explosion was expected to be revealed, investigators instead were back at the blast site armed with a search warrant.
The Oct. 23 explosion destroyed a 4,400-square-foot home valued at $723,000.
The homeowners, Kimberlee and Paul Hering Jr., have hired an attorney who said Thursday he doesn't understand why the warrant was obtained when his clients have been "totally cooperative."
Officials on Thursday disclosed they had asked for the warrant and returned to the scene of the blast at 4852 Deadwood Camp Court, east of Las Cruces in the upscale Talavera neighborhood.
"The search warrant in my opinion was unnecessary," Las Cruces attorney Lyle Wood said, "We've met the investigators out there, I have not personally, but the Herings have met them out there on several occasions and given them free reign to look at whatever they want to."
The Herings, on Wood's advice, have declined to take a polygraph test.
"I believe they are the victims, victims of an accident, an accidental destruction of the property," Wood said.
"They're victims, they have no reason to be treated as suspects or persons or interest, whatever they call them," he added.
The Herings were out of town at the time of the blast. No one was injured, although several adjacent homes sustained damage, officials said. Paul Hering is a former agent of the federal Drug Enforcement Agency.
Wood said the warrant, served Thursday, is the second obtained by investigators. He did not know what was contained in the first warrant, but the second warrant sought to examine the home's propane lines and the propane tank.
The home, which sits on 1.6 acres, had been up for sale for several months, according to Joe Martin-Howell, the listing agent with Steinborn GMAC Realty. In addition to the home, a large RV, valued at $350,000, was completely destroyed.
County officials were closed-mouth as to whether the Herings were now suspects in the blast and would not elaborate further beyond issuing a news release.
"The (news) release says everything that I'm allowed to say," county spokesman Jess Williams said.
Williams earlier said the cause of the blast could be revealed as early as Thursday. Since that didn't happen, the cause won't be disclosed until the latest evidence is processed.
The site still is considered a crime scene until foul play can be ruled out.
The Doña Ana County Sheriff's Department has been heading up the investigation, with assistance from several state and federal agencies, including the FBI.
Jose Medina can be reached at jmedina@lcsun-news.com; (575) 541-5447
