Frenchman sentenced to a year in case of apartment bug fumigation tragedy

[Dolores]

Georges Antoine Thevenet / Noticias SIN

French national Georges Antoine Thevenet was sentenced on Wednesday, 12 March 2025 to one year in prison after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter stemming from a “negligent fumigation” incident. Thevenet is a woodmaking artist who worked with used wood yet was not a professional fumigation outfit.

This tragic event resulted in the deaths of Adelle Marie Ruiz León and her two-month-old daughter in their apartment in the upscale Piantini district.

An excess in the use of a toxic fumigation chemical in an empty apartment with termite problems and whose vapors seeped through the electricity piping to the apartment above intoxicating the family of four that was living there. The father and son survived. Yet the fumigation caused severe health issues for the deceased’s husband and the one-year-old son.

Judge Milagros...

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[CristoRey]

One year in prison for involuntary manslaughter?

By comparison you are looking at 8 to 10 years in jail if caught stealing cattle along the border.

No wonder the family appealed this sentence. I would have done the same.

 

[Glenn Burke]

One year in prison for involuntary manslaughter?

Well, it was involuntary. Just an 'error humano', nada mas. I am surprised he was sentenced at all.

P.S. It's the termites who were at fault.

 

[Ecoman1949]

Well, it was involuntary. Just an 'error humano', nada mas. I am surprised he was sentenced at all.

P.S. It's the termites who were at fault.

A bit of a cavalier post but yes, it was human error. This was preventable if the government had a proper certification and inspection program for suppliers and users of these chemicals. They have minimal standards. You can get products here that are banned in other countries. I’ve read posts on DR1 about pesticide poisoning of locals caused by Dominicans. As far as I know, no Dominicans have ever been charged and convicted. The one year sentence sends a message to gringos but I highly doubt Dominicans will heed the message. I’ve personally witnessed how they apply pesticides in the cities, resort areas, and in the countryside. Scares the hell out of me.

 

[Uzin]

Scary stuff indeed, not safe in your own condo... , the minimum comes out of this story should be, notify neighbours when poisoning your condo with serious chemicals...! Condo admin should get hold of these operations and supervise them using experts, and stop people killing others like this...! 1 year is a joke...!?

 

[chico bill]

A downstairs unit was fumigated a few years ago for termites.
The fumes entered my upstairs unit and made me and my dog ill for several days. Neither of us could walk straight for a week. I was dizzy and lightheaded.
My dog died a 2 years later of lymphoma. I'm hoping that the fumes were not the cause, or that may be my future.
They sell some very strong poison in DR.

 

[Ecoman1949]

A downstairs unit was fumigated a few years ago for termites.
The fumes entered my upstairs unit and made me and my dog ill for several days. Neither of us could walk straight for a week. I was dizzy and lightheaded.
My dog died a 2 years later of lymphoma. I'm hoping that the fumes were not the cause, or that may be my future.
They sell some very strong poison in DR.

Roundup is the go to herbicide in the DR Chico. It’s used extensively for agricultural and residential purposes. I know that some DR residential construction contractors will use Roundup to kill vegetation on their building lots instead of excavating them prior to construction. Roundup is restricted for use in North America and only sold to and used by those certified, trained, and properly equipped to handle it.

Lack of inspections and enforcement are the issue in the DR.. I’ve had this discussion with DR environmental inspectors. Your suspicions about the cause of your dog’s death may be correct, sad to say. The symptoms you had are classic signs of exposure to the toxins in termite pesticides.

 

[chico bill]

Roundup is the go to herbicide in the DR Chico. It’s used extensively for agricultural and residential purposes. I know that some DR residential construction contractors will use Roundup to kill vegetation on their building lots instead of excavating them prior to construction. Roundup is restricted for use in North America and only sold to and used by those certified, trained, and properly equipped to handle it.

Lack of inspections and enforcement are the issue in the DR.. I’ve had this discussion with DR environmental inspectors. Your suspicions about the cause of your dog’s death may be correct, sad to say. The symptoms you had are classic signs of exposure to the toxins in termite pesticides.

It wasn't Roundup (glyphosate) . Something way stronger. Roundup doesn't have fumes for a week. I've used Roundup. It was effective at weed control.
It is still sold for commercial and farming use but residential Roundup now sold in Home Depot and nurseries has been reformulated and doesn't contain glyphosate.

 

[Ecoman1949]

It wasn't Roundup (glyphosate) . Something way stronger. Roundup doesn't have fumes for a week. I've used Roundup. It was effective at weed control.
It is still sold for commercial and farming use but residential Roundup now sold in Home Depot and nurseries has been reformulated and doesn't contain glyphosate.

I didn’t mean to imply you were exposed to Roundup. I was using it as an example of a chemical not tightly controlled in the DR. You were probably exposed to a pesticide toxin like Heptachlor or Aldrin. The main ingredients in termite pesticides.

 

[JD Jones]

I have a powder I was given by an exterminating company rep who used to fumigate my work building.

Whenever I see a trail on a wall, I mix a pinch with a drop of water or two, and apply it with a syringe.

FWIW, I haven't seen any new trails in a few years so it apparently did the trick.

 

[Ecoman1949]

I have a powder I was given by an exterminating company rep who used to fumigate my work building.

Whenever I see a trail on a wall, I mix a pinch with a drop of water or two, and apply it with a syringe.

FWIW, I haven't seen any new trails in a few years so it apparently did the trick.

JD. If it’s a white powder it’s PROBABLY diatomaceous earth, a natural powder ground from sedimentary rock, non toxic to animals and people but toxic to certain insects when ingested. If you breath in the dust from it, you can aggravate your nasal passages. Just make sure you don’t breath it in while your mixing it. A dust mask and disposable gloves are recommended by some suppliers when you’re handling it in powder form.

 

[Glenn Burke]

Fighting termites can be a real pain in the ass, I have lived in a building where they totally destroyed the kitchen furniture in my apartment, the whole building was infected, some neighbors replaced entire kitchen furniture to the new one made of treated wood or MDF, but I decided to move out before somebody starts to poison them the same way that French man did. So I understand how somebody can be that desperate fighting termites, to use that kind of strong poison.

I also have rented a penthouse in Cap Cana where termites starting to fall down from the wooden roof right on my bed. I have no idea what happened to the roof after that, I moved out.

 

[Glenn Burke]

I actually have never seen termites problem in cheap old apartments or houses here in DR, because everything was made of caoba and if I understand correctly, that kind of wood is not something that termites can eat. But I witnessed termites problems in luxury tower in Santo Domingo and luxury penthouse in CapCana, so I have no idea how builders of such expensive real estate can use untreated wood.

 

[AlterEgo]

I actually have never seen termites problem in cheap old apartments or houses here in DR, because everything was made of caoba and if I understand correctly, that kind of wood is not something that termites can eat. But I witnessed termites problems in luxury tower in Santo Domingo and luxury penthouse in CapCana, so I have no idea how builders of such expensive real estate can use untreated wood.

No idea what wood our original kitchen cabinets were made of, but the termites loved them. We demolished it and built an extension for a new kitchen, and made sure the new cabinetry and pantry were solid mahogany/caoba and andiroba, a Brazilian hardwood that termites also avoid. It’s been 10 years and so far so good.

 

[Glenn Burke]

No idea what wood our original kitchen cabinets were made of, but the termites loved them. We demolished it and built an extension for a new kitchen, and made sure the new cabinetry and pantry were solid mahogany/caoba and andiroba, a Brazilian hardwood that termites also avoid. It’s been 10 years and so far so good.

Some cheap old 'caoba' kitchen cabinets here have only doors made of solid caoba, and everything else is just stained plywood. And termites love that plywood, once they get there in between the layers, you can't really kill them, you will probably kill all neighbors and yourself with poison but the termites will survive inside. So yes, only solid mahogany/caoba works here, but not stained plywood or something else with 'caoba' color.

For some reason they also love Chinese furniture made of plywood. I had a modern leather sofa made in China, from an expensive store in SD, but the structure of the sofa was metal and plywood. At some point I gave it to a local tapiceria to fix the upholstery, and they infected the plywood with termites. So I had to throw it away. Now I always make sure that if I buy Chinese furniture, it's MDF, not plywood.

 

[Glenn Burke]

Honestly, I never liked that old caoba color and when they started to use 'roble' in all new buildings about 10 years ago, I said wow finally doors and kitchens of a good modern color are available in DR now! But after I saw how termites destroy those new and fancy 'roble' kitchens, I changed my mind, I better have caoba but no termites.

 

[AlterEgo]

Honestly, I never liked that old caoba color and when they started to use 'roble' in all new buildings about 10 years ago, I said wow finally doors and kitchens of a good modern color are available in DR now! But after I saw how termites destroy those new and fancy 'roble' kitchens, I changed my mind, I better have caoba but no termites.

I thought roble/oak was also termite proof/resistant!

 

[Glenn Burke]

I thought roble/oak was also termite proof/resistant!

Well, I have lived in a modern tower where these fancy new 'roble' kitchen cabinets and some 'roble' doors were destroyed by termites from penthouse to underground parking. Maybe it was a wrong kind of 'roble', who knows.

 

[AlterEgo]

Well, I have lived in a modern tower where these fancy new 'roble' kitchen cabinets and some 'roble' doors were destroyed by termites from penthouse to underground parking. Maybe it was a wrong kind of 'roble', who knows.

I think some unscrupulous carpenters use cheap wood and good stain to fool buyers sometimes.

 

[Glenn Burke]

I think some unscrupulous carpenters use cheap wood and good stain to fool buyers sometimes.

Everything is possible here. All I know is that those kitchen cabinets and doors were installed by constructora and they were advertised as roble, and in a few years after the torre was built and all apartments were sold, almost all owners had to replace kitchen furniture and some doors, because everything was destroyed by termites, from the kitchen on the top floor of the penthouse to the locker doors in the sotano. And I am talking about apartments that cost more than 200 thousand US$.

As I mentioned before, I saw the same problem in the much more expensive beach front residence in Cap Cana. Top floor unit all infected by termites.