LOS ANGELES
A South Los Angeles man whose fireworks were detonated by police, leading to a massive explosion that destroyed a specially designed containment vehicle, damaged a neighborhood, and injured 17 people, pleaded guilty today to a federal criminal charge, according to federal authorities.
Arturo Ceja III, a.k.a. “Autron,” 26, pleaded guilty to single-count information charging him with transportation of explosives without a license.
U.S. District Judge Fernando M. Olguin has not yet scheduled a sentencing hearing. Ceja is facing up to 10 years in prison
According to court documents, Ceja made several trips to Nevada in late June to purchase various types of explosives that he transported to his residence in rental vans. Most of the explosives were purchased at Area 51, a fireworks dealer in Pahrump, Nevada.
About 5,000 pounds (2.5 tons) of fireworks were found. Ceja was storing approximately 32,000 pounds (16 tons) of fireworks on the property, according to authorities.
Fireworks in California can be sold for as much as four times what purchasers pay for the fireworks in Nevada. Ceja also purchased homemade explosives – constructed of cardboard paper, hobby fuse and packed with explosive flash powder – from an individual selling the devices out of the vehicle, according to court documents.
On June 30, after receiving a tip that fireworks were being stored in Ceja’s backyard, Los Angeles Police officers responded to his residence on East 27th Street. At the house, officers found more than 500 boxes of commercial-grade fireworks in large cardboard boxes.
The initial investigation by local authorities estimated that approximately 5,000 pounds (2.5 tons) of fireworks were found. But law enforcement later determined that Ceja was storing approximately 32,000 pounds (16 tons) of fireworks on the property.
In addition to the commercial fireworks, the initial search of Ceja’s residence led to the discovery of more than 140 other homemade fireworks as well as explosives-making components, according to court documents.
While the fireworks were being removed from Ceja’s residence, the LAPD Bomb Squad determined that some of the homemade fireworks containing explosive materials were not safe to transport due to risk of detonation in a densely populated area and therefore would be destroyed on the scene using a total containment vessel (TCV), according to court documents.
During the destruction of the devices, the entire TCV exploded, damaging homes in the neighborhood and injuring a total of 17 law enforcement personnel and civilians.