Four individuals have been charged in connection with the death of a 5-year-old boy who was “incinerated” inside a pressurized oxygen chamber that exploded at a suburban Detroit medical facility, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Tuesday. Thomas Cooper of Royal Oak, Michigan, died at the scene on Jan. 31 at the Oxford Center in Troy. His mother sustained burn injuries while attempting to rescue him.
“A single spark it appears ignited into a fully involved fire that claimed Thomas’s life within seconds,” Nessel said, noting that such fires are almost always fatal. The incident has raised serious questions about safety protocols at the facility.
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The center’s founder and CEO, Tamela Peterson, 58, faces a second-degree murder charge. Facility manager Gary Marken, 65, and safety manager Gary Mosteller, 64, are charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Aleta Moffitt, 60, the chamber operator at the time of the explosion, is charged with involuntary manslaughter and falsifying medical records.
All four were arrested Monday and appeared in court Tuesday, where they entered not-guilty pleas. Bond was set at 2 million for Peterson, 2 million for Peterson,250,000 each for Marken and Mosteller, and $100,000 for Moffitt. Assistant Attorney General Chris Kessel expressed concerns that Peterson, who has access to significant financial resources, might flee, told AP News.
The boy had been undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy for sleep apnea and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, conditions not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for such treatment. Nessel described the therapy as “unsupported by medical science” and noted that the center operated as a “pure cash-flow, for-profit business.”
Defense attorneys expressed shock at the severity of the charges and bond amounts. Raymond Cassar, representing Marken, called the incident a “tragic accident” and emphasized his client’s presumption of innocence. Ellen Michaels, Moffitt’s attorney, extended sympathy to the boy’s family while urging fairness in the legal process.
The Oxford Center, in a statement, called the incident unprecedented in its 15 years of operation and pledged to cooperate with investigations. Hyperbaric therapy, which delivers oxygen at high pressure, is FDA-approved for 13 specific conditions, none of which include the boy’s diagnoses.
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Nessel highlighted multiple safety failures, including the absence of a maintenance check, a medical doctor, or a licensed technician on-site. Investigators concluded that the center routinely operated hyperbaric chambers beyond their service life and ignored critical safety measures.
The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society, which accredits such facilities, does not list the Oxford Center among its accredited providers. Nessel stressed that the tragedy could have been avoided with proper adherence to safety protocols. As the legal proceedings unfold, the community mourns the loss of Thomas Cooper, a young life cut short in a preventable tragedy.
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