Teen accused of setting off fireworks near Hermosa Beach Pier identified – NBC Los Angeles

A security guard who was in Hermosa Beach the night a group of teenagers illegally set off fireworks near a popular pier recalled trying to arrest the teens accused of causing the disturbance.

According to police, a group of teenagers on e-bikes injured several people on Saturday night when they set off fireworks near Pier Plaza.

““It was a loud explosion. It ruptured a lot of people’s eardrums and a lot of it sprayed into a lot of people’s faces, including one of our customers,” said Beau Bowden, who was working security at Patrick Molloy’s when the group of teenagers set off the fireworks outside the busy bar.

Bowden said people tried to stop the teens from leaving.

A man was struck in the back of the head by a firework after a group of teenagers set it off in Hermosa Beach. Anastassia Olmos reports for NBC4 News on June 9, 2024.

“An angry mob started surrounding this young man,” he said. “I went in there and grabbed them to tell people the situation was under control.”

When police arrived, the teens had disappeared, according to Bowden. However, two boys returned voluntarily and were arrested, police said. Since they were not the ones who set off the fireworks, they were released to their parents.

Officials said video of the incident helped them identify the teen who set off the fireworks. The boy has not yet been arrested. Police said he could face charges of setting off fireworks in a public place or assault with a deadly weapon.

Just days earlier, the city had passed an emergency ordinance giving officials more powers to prosecute e-bike law violations and increasing fines.

Several people were injured when a group of teenagers on e-bikes set off fireworks in Hermosa Beach.

“It didn’t seem to help much, at least not immediately, because the kids went right back to their usual antics,” Bowden said, adding that he was very concerned about the upcoming Fourth of July Independence Day.

NBC4 has reported on youths on e-bikes and illegal “electric motorcycles” terrorizing several coastal communities. Among other things, there have been attacks and the throwing of fireworks at houses, which have even started fires.

Hermosa Beach police stepped up their crackdown on e-bikes in May, confiscating about a dozen illegal electric motorcycles.

“I think parents need to be held accountable to some extent. They’re spending thousands of dollars on these e-bikes and letting their kids ride around freely,” Bowden exclaimed.