Gardena police seize 75 tons of fireworks from commercial warehouse – NBC Los Angeles

More than 75 tons of fireworks were seized from a warehouse in Gardena last week, the largest fireworks seizure in recent history and doubling the previous record of 32 tons set in 2021.

On Friday, investigators from the Gardena Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit responded to a warehouse on Vermont Avenue near 170th Street, just west of Highway 110.

Officers discovered dozens and dozens of boxes of illegal fireworks with an estimated street value of $7 to $10 million.

A man who works at another company on the same site said he saw officers unloading boxes from the warehouse all weekend.

He added that an officer told him the boxes were stacked from floor to ceiling.

Cal Fire, ATF and the Los Angeles County Fire Department assisted officials in disposing of the fireworks.

It is unclear whether the illegal fireworks were set off from the warehouse, but Areli Perez-Adard, who lives on the same block, said she hears them almost every day.

Perez-Adard said it felt like an earthquake. “Big bangs, like it was a big car crash, and we woke up in the middle of the night. And we were like, ‘Why are they doing this?’ And our dogs would come and scratch at our door because it was so loud.”

Investigators arrested three people on suspicion of possession of explosives and various weapons offenses.

Alejandro Rodriguez, 44, and 25-year-old Daniel Gudino of Wilmington and 30-year-old Natalie Navarro of Carson.

The case is still under investigation and prosecutors will determine final charges.

Gardena Police Chief Mike Saffell said in a statement, “The Gardena Police Department takes a zero-tolerance approach to enforcing fireworks laws. We continue to ask the public to help us in this effort to keep our community safe.”

Tomorrow, Gardena Police will hold a press conference at 11 a.m. to discuss the seizure.

Anyone with information related to the investigation is asked to contact the Special Investigations Unit.