Tens of thousands of pounds of illegal fireworks were seized from a South Los Angeles warehouse Wednesday afternoon, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Around 3 p.m., the Los Angeles Fire Department was “conducting routine compliance inspections” in the 900 block of East 61st Street in the Florence neighborhood when marshals found “a large number of fireworks in a storage room,” police said in a news release.
The illegal, “commercial-grade” fireworks were seized by authorities, who “immediately began the process of packaging and removing the fireworks from the area, which totaled 38,000 pounds in weight,” the release added.
Two Angelenos, 64-year-old Lorenzo Ponce and 35-year-old Diego Ponce, were arrested for possession of illegal fireworks over 5,000 pounds.
CalFire will assist with the disposal of the fireworks, and the investigation is ongoing.
Nearly two years ago, the LAPD attempted to dispose of fireworks in South Los Angeles using a specialized vehicle that was supposed to contain the ensuing blast, but an “apparent miscalculation” led to the vehicle’s destruction and widespread damage in the area.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Allen at 213-486-7220.
During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247).
Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or go directly to lacrimestoppers.org.