TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — In August, an explosion in Troy nearly killed a 9 year-old girl and seriously injured her 5-year old cousin. The investigation has officially closed, with no charges brought, leaving the family with many questions. NEWS10’s Payton Cavanaugh sat down to talk with the family.
Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox!
Nine-year-old Alana and her five-year-old cousin Jaden were playing outside of their family home, when a device suddenly detonated in their driveway. Alana underwent multiple surgeries and the family says they are grateful she survived, but they have many questions about how the investigation was handled.
“We really just want a thorough investigation so that we can find some answers so that we can get to the bottom of what caused this explosion,” said Vanessa Merolla, Alana’s mother.
“We’re never going to give up, right? This is our daughter,” said Derrick Harper, Alana’s father. “This is our nephew.”
Download our WTEN+ streaming app on Roku, Fire TV and Apple TV!
In a statement, Deputy Chief of Police Steven Barker told NEWS10, “Investigators believe the material that caused the explosion was remnants from a firework.” Regarding how the material ended up where it was when it exploded, Barker said, “A detailed accountability of the timeline was not able to be corroborated by the available evidence.”…