If you’re planning on setting off your own fireworks this Independence Day, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has a simple message for you: don’t.
The pyrotechnics “are not just dangerous, they’re criminal,” Hochman said in a news release, which added that “the use, possession or sale of illegal fireworks” is all prohibited.
“If you set off explosives in our neighborhoods, injure our residents, damage our homes, and terrorize our communities, we will come after you with the full weight of the law,” Hochman said. “Do not gamble with your freedom this Fourth of July.”
To further make his point, Hochman used the case of Joshua Alavez, a 26-year-old Inglewood resident who could face up to 35 years in state prison after he allegedly set off fireworks in Commerce celebrating the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 2024 World Series title, then “allegedly ignited large-scale pyrotechnic devices in an Inglewood residential neighborhood on Christmas Day 2024” while out on pretrial release.
That second round of fireworks “shattered windows in a nearby apartment building, damaged multiple vehicles, and drew a crowd of young onlookers,” the release said.
“One of the explosives tore through a woman’s bedroom window, causing lacerations to her face,” the release added.
Alvarez has pleaded not guilty and has a pretrial hearing scheduled for July 9.
Hochman is far from the only local official to promise a crackdown on illegal fireworks this year.
Riverside is deploying drones to track down those who illegally set of fireworks like those that started last year’s Hawarden Fire.
In cities like Fullerton, the costs of being caught setting off illegal fireworks have grown to eye-popping numbers.
Your first offense can result in a $3,000 fine, with repeat offenses bringing larger fines of $5,000, then $7,000.
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