Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Man Arrested In South LA Fireworks Explosion Had 32,000 Pounds Of Explosives In His Back Yard

Federal agents have updated details of the fireworks stash that was discovered at a South L.A. home last week, now saying that 32,000 pounds of commercial grade fireworks and homemade explosives were found — much more than the 5,000 pounds originally reported by the LAPD.
Arturo Ceja III was arrested and charged with illegally transporting fireworks and other explosive devices following that botched attempt last week by Los Angeles police to safely detonate some of the stash. The resulting explosion left 17 people injured, destroyed the specialized police vehicle designed to contain the blast, and damaged homes and cars in the area.
Ceja was arrested Saturday by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and charged with transporting several tons of explosives from Nevada into California without a license or proper permit.
Responding to a tip last Wednesday, police found the massive stash in Ceja's back yard "under unsecured tents and next to cooking grills," according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice.
The explosives included more than 500 boxes of commercial grade fireworks in large cardboard boxes and more than 140 homemade fireworks "typically referred to M devices of varying sizes" (think M-80). The criminal complaint noted that some of the explosives were "constructed of cardboard paper, hobby fuse and packed with explosive flash powder." A homemade mortar shell wrapped in tin foil was also found inside his home, according to the statement.
The complaint alleges that Ceja made several trips in late June to Nevada, where he purchased different kinds of explosives, including aerial displays and large homemade fireworks. He used rental vans to transport the cache to his home in South L.A.
Ceja told investigators he obtained most of the fireworks at Area 51, a dealer in Pahrump, Nevada, where he bought them from someone selling them out of the trunk of a Honda in the parking lot, according to the Justice Department.
Police received a tip last Wednesday that Ceja was storing fireworks in the back yard of his home on East 27th Street. The bomb squad ultimately decided that some of the homemade devices would not be safe to transport, and that it would be safer to detonate those in a specialized chamber known as a total containment vessel, or TCV.
Instead, the entire vehicle exploded, resulting in a major blast that injured both law enforcement and civilians and reportedly sent a 500-pound metal lid crashing into a home several blocks away. Authorities are still investigating what went wrong.
Ceja is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Tuesday. The charges he faces carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

-
The bill would increase penalties for metal recyclers who possess or purchase metal used in public infrastructure.
-
The new ordinance applies to certain grocers operating in the city and has led to some self-checkout lanes to shutter.
-
Children asked to waive right to see a judge in exchange for $2,500
-
There’s still a lot to be determined as the refinery, which supplies about one-fifth of Southern California's vehicle fuels, works to restore production and as data is collected.
-
The FCC voted to end E-Rate discounts for library hotspot lending and school bus Wi-Fi.
-
About half the Pacific Airshow’s 2025 lineup has been grounded because of the federal government shutdown.