San Jose police seized more than 1,000 lbs. of fireworks and arrested a man. (Photo: SJPD)
SAN JOSE, Calif. - San Jose police on Thursday said they arrested a 49-year-old man in connection with 1,000 pounds of fireworks they said they found in a Milpitas storage locker and his vehicles.
Police took Mark Espinoza into custody on Sunday for possession of illegal fireworks for sale.
As of Thursday, Espinoza was at Elmwood jail being held without bail. Efforts to determine whether he had an attorney representing were not immediately successful.
Police said this arrest comes as a follow-up to community concerns from early June about illegal fireworks in San Jose's Alviso district.
The fireworks bust wasn't nearly as large as one that San Jose police made when they arrested Anthony Dasilva, 45, and Nathaniel Valassis, 25, who allegedly had 38,000 pounds of fireworks following an explosive fire that broke out at a public storage facility earlier in June.
Both men bailed out of jail and have not yet entered a plea. Their court date is scheduled for July 31.
Illegal fireworks remain a concern throughout the region.
For example, illegal fireworks sparked a 20% increase in calls to Oakland Fire Department. And in Antioch, a home was damaged by a fire that investigators believe was started by fireworks.
July 4 revelers leave behind trash, fireworks from Fruitvale to Lake Tahoe
July 4 revelers left behind trash and fireworks from Oakland to the beaches of Lake Tahoe, causing city leaders and community groups to decry the mess and clean up the areas themselves.