Illegal Fireworks Explode During LAPD Seizure, Injuring 17 People [Video]

• The Los Angeles Police Department received an anonymous tip about a massive stockpile of illegal fireworks at a South LA home.
• As the officers loaded the fireworks and explosives into a bomb squad trailer for transport, they exploded, destroying the truck and injuring 17 people.
• Authorities are now looking into why the truck was not able to contain the explosion.

An explosion erupted in a South Los Angeles neighborhood on Wednesday while Los Angeles Police Department officers were seizing several thousand pounds of illegal fireworks.

The LAPD received an anonymous tip about a massive stockpile of explosives in the South L.A. home of Arturo Cejas, 27. Upon searching his home, officers found an estimated 5,000 pounds of fireworks and several hundred “improvised explosives.”

But as the officers loaded the explosives into a bomb squad trailer for transport, they exploded. The explosion destroyed the armored truck, injured 17 people, and forced residents to evacuate.

The explosion injured police officers, first responders, and civilians alike. Fortunately, all are expected to recover. The detonation also damaged several nearby homes.

LAPD Chief Michel Moore detailed the incident during a press conference on Wednesday. He said that the armored truck, which was built to withstand more than what had exploded, had experienced a “total catastrophic failure.”

“Clearly, protocols were followed and pursued,” he stated. “But something happened in that containment vessel that should not have happened and we don’t know why.”

Authorities have launched a technical investigation on the cause of the truck’s containment failure.

Cejas has been arrested and charged with possession of a destructive device. He is also facing potential charges of child endangerment because his 10-year-old brother was inside the home.

Police reports state that Cejas acquired the explosives out of state and transported them to California. He was planning to resell them to neighbors for the July 4 celebrations.

Fireworks are considered illegal in Los Angeles. Moore reminded residents of the “dangers of this type of material,” especially in large amounts.

Moore stated, “Most people see them as harmless…as celebratory and fun. Tonight is a clear demonstration of the clear and present danger that fireworks in this city pose when you have underground operators and sellers that gather this material [and] store it in an unsafe and dangerous fashion, exposing entire neighborhoods to the real risks of a loss of life.”

Source: People