Walnut Creek police arrest man on felony charges after fireworks set off rattling and explosions
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - Walnut Creek police on Tuesday said they arrested a man on felony charges after rattling and explosions were heard throughout the East Bay City and a building was damaged.
Police said witnesses helped them find Shayne Guerrero, 32, of Walnut Creek after he was seen running away from the scene about 10 p.m. Monday.
Guerrero matched the suspect description, police said, and was uncooperative, resisting officers, police said.
Video at the time of the arrest shows a man in the back of a patrol car at the intersection of Mt. Pisgah Road and Mt. Diablo Boulevard. Boxes of fireworks sat on the hood of a police car.
Ultimately, police said they found Guerrero to be in possession of illegal fireworks and even more fireworks at his house, where a 2-year-old was inside.
Police arrested him on suspicion of possessing an explosive device, child endangerment, vandalism and some other misdemeanors.
Glass from the explosion shattered glass on nearby buildings including at Marci’s Skin Care.
Marci Varellas spent a good part of the morning cleaning up the shards in front of her shop and some products fell off her shelves.
"It could have been been a lot worse," she said.
People on Twitter were discussing the "massive" explosions they heard about 10 p.m.
Setting off illegal fireworks has been occurring throughout the Bay Area, including in Livermore over the weekend, which started a brush fire.
And officials are doing what they can to get them off the streets and out of people's hands.
Last week, Contra Costa fire and arson investigators reported they confiscated 300 pounds of illegal fireworks off the thriving underground market.
And this week, Northern California authorities announced they seized about 15,000 pounds of fireworks and $1 million as part of an investigation into a major distribution line of the illegal explosives.
The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office says it has linked two people to the sale of fireworks in the county, as well as two residences and a warehouse in Oakland. One of the suspects was booked into jail last week but the other has not yet been taken into custody.
But city leaders and firefighters worry even when the fireworks are legal to purchase like San Bruno.
It's not just about causing damage to nearby buildings but the fact that California is in such a critical drought.
"We do have the trust that you're going to be safe with them and staying in San Bruno but can't guarantee that they are," said San Bruno Rotary fireworks supervisor Nicole Arretche.