Riverside man arrested after 1,000 pounds of illegal explosives found

Lina Portman3 days ago

0 2 minutes read

A man has been arrested after police discovered a massive stockpile of illegal fireworks and dangerous explosives at his Riverside home.

The suspect has been identified as Vincent Lozano III, 23, according to the Riverside Police Department.

Investigators received a tip about an illegal fireworks seller in the community and identified Lozano as the suspected source.

A search warrant was issued at a home in the 5800 block of Clifton Avenue in the Hillside neighborhood.

During the operation, authorities discovered about 1,000 pounds of “dangerous and illegal fireworks” on the backyard patio. Nearly 100 individual destructive devices, similar to M-80 explosives, were also found, police said.

Additional evidence that the suspect was selling illegal fireworks was also found, along with several illegal firearms.

A cache of illegal fireworks weighing approximately 1,000 pounds, along with nearly 100 destructive devices, were discovered at a Riverside home on June 20, 2024. (Riverside Police Department)

Lozano was arrested on multiple charges, including possession of more than 100 pounds of dangerous fireworks, possession of destructive devices and weapons violations.

He was also arrested for child endangerment because the fireworks were accessible to children who lived in the home, deputies said.

Lozano was released the next day on $35,000 bail.

“The City of Riverside reminds all residents that fireworks are illegal within city limits,” officials said. “Anyone caught using illegal fireworks could be fined $1,500. The City is actively working to reduce the use of illegal fireworks, which can cause injuries, stress veterans with PTSD, terrify animals, and start dangerous fires.”

Anyone with additional information about the case or knowledge of illegal fireworks may contact Officer J. Alter at [email protected] or 951-351-6152, or Officer V. Schmitz at [email protected] or 951-351-6404.

The public can also call the Riverside Police Department at 951-354-2007.

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