A nearby industrial warehouse, the Watson Grinding and Manufacturing facility, had exploded.
Cruz went to the emergency room and was eventually released. He moved his wife and their two children into a hotel because their home was destroyed.
Two weeks later Cruz died, his lawyer says, from those injuries.
The explosion ended up damaging more than 470 homes and businesses, injuring at least 18 people and killing three.
Edward Castillo
The explosion aftermath at Watson Grinding and Manufacturing in Houston on Jan. 24, 2020.
Down the street, Frank Peters said he was working on home repairs when he was thrown against a wall.
"I was just convinced it was an atomic bomb," Peters said. "You know, dirty bomb or something — terrorism."