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The suspect, Anthony Avila-Puebla, lost his life in the explosion
What should have been the happiest day of their lives turned into a nightmare when a wedding guest allegedly left the celebration and caused a devastating explosion that destroyed their home
Tom Davis and Eleni Vrettos were celebrating their wedding the day after Valentine’s Day when tragedy struck—their Cicero, Chicago home was suddenly consumed by flames.
The house, situated on the 2200 block of Central Avenue, exploded during the wedding. Authorities later identified the suspect, a guest at the ceremony, who was found dead in the wreckage.
The blast was so intense that it completely leveled the couple’s home and forced 11 neighboring families to evacuate as nearby properties ignited from the explosion.
Recalling the terrifying moment, the bride told WGNTV, “I ran here in my wedding dress, down the alley, and watched from a neighbor’s yard.”
“Everything was just smoke at that point,” Vrettos recalled, explaining that she learned about the explosion only moments after exchanging vows.
“I was still in my wedding dress—heels, no jacket—just standing there in shock,” she continued.
Adding to the devastation, her husband had no choice but to wear his wedding shoes for days, as the fire had destroyed all their belongings.
“Our first concern, of course, was our cats,” Davis said. “But once we realized there was nothing we could do, we returned to the reception—to be with people who loved and cared about us.”
Authorities later recovered a body from the wreckage, identifying the deceased as 31-year-old Anthony Avila-Puebla.
Investigators believe Avila-Puebla briefly left the wedding, returned to the couple’s home, and deliberately set the fire that led to the fatal explosion.
According to police reports cited by the New York Post, Avila-Puebla had a connection to someone living in the house, though officials did not disclose who.
Security footage allegedly shows him parking his vehicle about half a block away during the wedding festivities, carrying jugs of what authorities describe as a flammable liquid into the home.
Investigators suspect he poured the liquid throughout the property before igniting it—and never made it back out.
While friends and supporters have raised over $63,000 through GoFundMe to assist the newlyweds, the bride remains devastated by the loss of her childhood home.
“The building belonged to my family for almost 40 years. I grew up here, lived here, and I work in the community. Cicero is all I really know,” she said, reflecting on the deep personal loss.
