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It's the Fourth of July, and you know what that means: Illegal fireworks abound! The most recent bust happened in Compton yesterday, at about 8:30 a.m.
Working on a tip from a reliable informant, sheriff's deputies bust into the garage of a home in the 1100 block of East Pine Street, where they discovered a fully stocked and functioning sales operation, with 6,500 pounds -- about $15,000 worth -- of dangerous explosives being peddled to the general public. Included in the items for sale were skyrockets, mortars, pyrotechnics, and explosives.
Deputies also found a stolen weapon in the house that they believe belongs to a police officer, along with $30,000.
Six women and two men who were inside the home were detained, and the two men were arrested, on on charges of possession of an explosive device and selling fireworks without a proper permit, the other for receiving stolen property and being in possession of a stolen firearm. The women were released when it was determined that they had nothing to do with the fireworks operations.