Illinois newlyweds were left in shock upon learning that one of their very own wedding guests was behind the horrific explosion that destroyed their home as they were saying ‘I do.’
Anthony Avila-Puebla, 31, of Cicero, was identified as both the body found in the debris and the man responsible for the explosion that occurred in the 2200-block of Central Avenue last month, police have revealed on Saturday, ABC 7 reported.
The shocking revelation came after surveillance video captured the suspect carrying several jugs of flammable liquid into the home, just moments before the explosion that displaced 11 families took place.
On February 15, Eleni Vrettos, 32, was still in her wedding dress as she watched smoke pour from her childhood home.
‘I ran here in my wedding dress, like down the alley, and was watching from a neighbor’s yard,’ she told WSAV. ‘Everything was just smoke at that point.’
The abrupt explosion was captured on surveillance cameras from nearby homes and businesses, which showed bricks and debris hurtling across the road, hitting cars and nearby buildings before the home became engulfed in flames and thick smoke.
In utter disbelief, Vrettos said that her ‘mind went numb’ as she tried to process the heartbreak.
‘Rather than taking our family photos and joining our wedding guests at the reception, my husband and I drove to the home that once stood to witness it in shambles,’ she said.
‘From a neighbor’s yard, I witnessed the smoke and smog and filled my lungs with the charcoal smell.’
The heartache only intensified once Vrettos thought about her beloved pet cats inside the home that she described as being ‘literally her world.’
‘There was no way my babies made it out in that instant explosion and engulfed in flames,’ she said. ‘While my first instinct was to run to the rubble to search for my angels, we obviously were told we couldn’t be there and there was nothing to be done.’
A body was also found in the rubble, which the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office later identified to be Avila-Puebla, ABC reported.
Avila-Puebla was a guest at the ceremony, but ultimately went missing in the midst of the celebration, investigators discovered.
The suspect, who was determined to have a relationship with a family member inside the home, was captured on surveillance video parking his car a half-block away while everyone else was at the ceremony.
Authorities found that Avila-Puebla had removed a five-gallon jug of some sort of flammable liquid from his car before entering the building.
He was later seen leaving the residence with an empty jug in hand, only to return to his vehicle at least two more times – each time retrieving several more jugs and bringing them inside, Fox 32 News reported.
The explosion occurred moments later. Avila-Puebla was never seen leaving the home once it became plagued with roaring flames.
The blaze damaged a neighboring building in the area as well as a third building, which sustained minor damage during the fire.
Several units in the building were affected, displacing 11 families in total. The Town of Cicero and aid agencies, including the Red Cross, has provided each family with temporary housing, according to Fox News.
Vrettos and her brother recently took ownership of the home after it had been in their mother’s name for nearly 40 years, WGN9 reported.
The pair had plans to assist in updating the residence with renovations to ‘take the burden off,’ including fixing some ‘long overdue’ repairs. They had already paid for a new roof and new interior support beams.
However, the process of transferring home insurance was still ongoing, leaving the home uninsured at the time of the explosion.
‘I truly have no idea what we are going to do when it comes to the near future because there is so much at play with the “unknown,”‘ Vrettos said.
‘Recently, my brother and I had transferred the home ownership from our mom to us, and we had not yet secured home insurance – call it irresponsible if you will and shame us for that mistake, but we can’t undo our error.’
A GoFundMe for the family was started to help them rebuild and cover the costs of the damage.
‘This home was more than just a house – it was where Eleni grew up, where she and Tom had moved in to start their new life together, and where the family had built countless memories over the years,’ the fundraiser said.
‘Now they have lost everything – their belongings, their keepsakes, and the place they called home.’
The fundraiser has raised over $50,000 to help the family restart their lives.
‘The Vrettos family has always been kind, generous, and full of love – now they need our support more than ever. We pray that this fundraiser provides them some solace through the pain as they navigate this heartbreaking loss.’
The home also holds memories of her father, who died in 2022.
‘I am scared. I am worried. I am lost. My stomach is in knots,’ Vrettos said. ‘All I have left are the memories. Goodbye to the only home I’ve ever known, and rest in peace to the loves of my life.’
Although Vrettos’ wedding day was filled with unimaginable heartbreak, the newlywed bride acknowledged that the ceremony saved her family from being caught in the devastating explosion.
‘What we realized was that had Tom and I not been married just a few hours ago, we and my family members would’ve been dead because we would’ve been home as normal on a weekend,’ she wrote on Facebook.
‘The wedding ceremony saved our lives.’
Avila-Puebla’s motivation behind the explosion remains unknown as the investigation is still ongoing.