Man Arrested After Costa Mesa Police Confiscate 500 Pounds Of Illegal Fireworks

COSTA MESA (CBSLA.com) — A 51-year-old man was in custody Friday after Costa Mesa police confiscated more than 500 pounds of illegal fireworks.

Officials responded to a parking lot behind Newport Liquor, 2200 Newport Blvd., around 8 p.m. Thursday on a report of a man selling fireworks to minors.

Police located Antonio Arellano's red pick-up truck and attached U-Haul trailer filled with illegal products. Arellano, of Las Vegas, was arrested and charged with selling dangerous fireworks to minors, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and sales of dangerous fireworks. His bail was set at $20,000.

The suspect allegedly paid $2,000 for the fireworks in Pahrump, Nevada prior to transporting them into California to sell, authorities said.

An inventory of the items in the trailer included approximately 300 mortars, 300 aerial fireworks, 300 Roman candles, 3,600 bottle rockets, 40 large sky rockets, over 600 M-150 type explosives and more than 11,000 firecrackers.

Orange County Bomb Squad is scheduled to dispose of them at 3 p.m. at the Costa Mesa Firestation, 2300 Placentia Ave.