The Ottawa man accused of causing last month's explosion at an Orléans housing construction site allegedly broke into two homes and removed water heaters, but left the natural gas supply open, court documents show.

Last week police announced a long list of charges including arson and criminal negligence against Kody Crosby, 35, for alleged actions on Feb. 12, the day before the explosion.

Court records also show Crosby pleaded guilty to a theft spree in 2016 and charges, including an alleged break-in at a construction site in Kanata in 2019, were later withdrawn.

His lawyer has declined to comment on the current or past charges.

4 injured workers now out of hospital

Four homes were destroyed and others were badly damaged in last month's explosion. Firefighters said at the time a gas leak triggered the blast.

Two men were pulled from the wreckage and rushed to hospital in serious but stable condition, while two children and two more adults were taken to local hospitals in stable condition.

The four injured men were construction workers sub-contracted by Potvin Construction and have been out of the hospital for a week, said Chantal Guindon, a Potvin spokesperson.

"They are lucky to be alive," she said. "The main thing is the trauma. It's really shaken them."