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  • Iranians able to make some calls abroad while internet access is still out after protests

    Mobile phones in Iran were able to call abroad Tuesday after a crackdown on nationwide protests in which the internet and international calls were cut.Several people in Tehran were able to call The Associated Press and speak to a journalist there. The AP bureau in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was unable to call those numbers back.Video above: Donald Trump says Iran wants to negotiate with the U.S. after his threat to strike the countryIranians said text messaging appeared to remain down, and witnesses said the internet remained cut off from the outside world.Iran cut off the internet and calls on Thursday as protests intensified.U.S. President Donald Trump has said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its crackdown on protesters that activists said had killed at least 646 people.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking to the Qatar-funded satellite news network Al Jazeera in an interview aired Monday night, said he continued to communicate with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.The communication “continued before and after the protests and are still ongoing,” Araghchi said. However, “Washington’s proposed ideas and threats against our country are incompatible.”White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Iran’s public rhetoric diverges from the private messaging the administration has received from Tehran in recent days.Video below: Scenes from the Los Angeles protest in support of the Iranian people“I think the president has an interest in exploring those messages,” Leavitt said. “However, with that said, the president has shown he’s unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary, and nobody knows that better than Iran.”Meanwhile, pro-government demonstrators flooded the streets Monday in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, which appeared to number in the tens of thousands, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”Others cried out, “Death to the enemies of God!” Iran’s attorney general has warned that anyone taking part in protests will be considered an “enemy of God,” a death-penalty charge.

    DUBAI, Dubai —

    Mobile phones in Iran were able to call abroad Tuesday after a crackdown on nationwide protests in which the internet and international calls were cut.

    Several people in Tehran were able to call The Associated Press and speak to a journalist there. The AP bureau in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was unable to call those numbers back.

    Video above: Donald Trump says Iran wants to negotiate with the U.S. after his threat to strike the country

    Iranians said text messaging appeared to remain down, and witnesses said the internet remained cut off from the outside world.

    Iran cut off the internet and calls on Thursday as protests intensified.

    U.S. President Donald Trump has said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its crackdown on protesters that activists said had killed at least 646 people.

    Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking to the Qatar-funded satellite news network Al Jazeera in an interview aired Monday night, said he continued to communicate with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.

    The communication “continued before and after the protests and are still ongoing,” Araghchi said. However, “Washington’s proposed ideas and threats against our country are incompatible.”

    White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Iran’s public rhetoric diverges from the private messaging the administration has received from Tehran in recent days.

    Video below: Scenes from the Los Angeles protest in support of the Iranian people

    “I think the president has an interest in exploring those messages,” Leavitt said. “However, with that said, the president has shown he’s unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary, and nobody knows that better than Iran.”

    Meanwhile, pro-government demonstrators flooded the streets Monday in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, which appeared to number in the tens of thousands, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”

    Others cried out, “Death to the enemies of God!” Iran’s attorney general has warned that anyone taking part in protests will be considered an “enemy of God,” a death-penalty charge.

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  • Iranians able to make some calls abroad while internet access is still out after protests

    Mobile phones in Iran were able to call abroad Tuesday after a crackdown on nationwide protests in which the internet and international calls were cut.Several people in Tehran were able to call The Associated Press and speak to a journalist there. The AP bureau in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was unable to call those numbers back.Video above: Donald Trump says Iran wants to negotiate with the U.S. after his threat to strike the countryIranians said text messaging appeared to remain down, and witnesses said the internet remained cut off from the outside world.Iran cut off the internet and calls on Thursday as protests intensified.U.S. President Donald Trump has said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its crackdown on protesters that activists said had killed at least 646 people.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking to the Qatar-funded satellite news network Al Jazeera in an interview aired Monday night, said he continued to communicate with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.The communication “continued before and after the protests and are still ongoing,” Araghchi said. However, “Washington’s proposed ideas and threats against our country are incompatible.”White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Iran’s public rhetoric diverges from the private messaging the administration has received from Tehran in recent days.Video below: Scenes from the Los Angeles protest in support of the Iranian people“I think the president has an interest in exploring those messages,” Leavitt said. “However, with that said, the president has shown he’s unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary, and nobody knows that better than Iran.”Meanwhile, pro-government demonstrators flooded the streets Monday in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, which appeared to number in the tens of thousands, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”Others cried out, “Death to the enemies of God!” Iran’s attorney general has warned that anyone taking part in protests will be considered an “enemy of God,” a death-penalty charge.

    DUBAI, Dubai —

    Mobile phones in Iran were able to call abroad Tuesday after a crackdown on nationwide protests in which the internet and international calls were cut.

    Several people in Tehran were able to call The Associated Press and speak to a journalist there. The AP bureau in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was unable to call those numbers back.

    Video above: Donald Trump says Iran wants to negotiate with the U.S. after his threat to strike the country

    Iranians said text messaging appeared to remain down, and witnesses said the internet remained cut off from the outside world.

    Iran cut off the internet and calls on Thursday as protests intensified.

    U.S. President Donald Trump has said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its crackdown on protesters that activists said had killed at least 646 people.

    Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking to the Qatar-funded satellite news network Al Jazeera in an interview aired Monday night, said he continued to communicate with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.

    The communication “continued before and after the protests and are still ongoing,” Araghchi said. However, “Washington’s proposed ideas and threats against our country are incompatible.”

    White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Iran’s public rhetoric diverges from the private messaging the administration has received from Tehran in recent days.

    Video below: Scenes from the Los Angeles protest in support of the Iranian people

    “I think the president has an interest in exploring those messages,” Leavitt said. “However, with that said, the president has shown he’s unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary, and nobody knows that better than Iran.”

    Meanwhile, pro-government demonstrators flooded the streets Monday in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, which appeared to number in the tens of thousands, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”

    Others cried out, “Death to the enemies of God!” Iran’s attorney general has warned that anyone taking part in protests will be considered an “enemy of God,” a death-penalty charge.

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  • Woman who lost her ability to speak due to ALS got it back in an unexpected way

    KCCI EIGHT NEWS AT TEN. A NORWALK WOMAN WHO LOST HER VOICE TO ALS GOT IT BACK IN AN UNEXPECTED WAY. KCCI ABIGAIL CURTIN SPOKE WITH HER THIS EVENING. ABIGAIL, TELL US A LITTLE MORE ABOUT HER STORY. WELL, THIS IS A PRETTY INCREDIBLE STORY, AND THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT PEOPLE CAN STRUGGLE WITH WHEN THEY HAVE ALS. MUSCLE WEAKNESS. DIFFICULTY EATING, EATING, AND COMMUNICATING. THOSE CAN BE HARD. AND THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE STRUGGLES THAT ROBIN LEEPER HAS HAD TO OVERCOME SINCE SHE WAS DIAGNOSED BACK IN 2023. BUT NEW TECHNOLOGY HAS BEEN ABLE TO EASE SOME OF THAT STRUGGLE AND GIVE HER A PART OF HERSELF BACK. WHEN ROBIN LEEPER WAS DIAGNOSED WITH ALS IN 2023, IT WAS ONE OF THE HARDEST MOMENTS OF HER LIFE. BUT WHEN SHE LOST HER ABILITY TO TALK, IT WAS EVEN HARDER. I CRIED, AND FOR THE FIRST YEAR I COULDN’T EVEN SAY ALS WITHOUT CRYING. AT THE TIME, SHE WAS THE PARKS AND REC DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY OF NORWALK. FOR A WHILE, SHE TRIED OTHER FORMS OF COMMUNICATION LIKE TEXT TO SPEECH, SOFTWARE OR SIGN LANGUAGE. BUT THAT’S WHERE THE CITY’S MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST, TY LUE, CAME IN. WE HAVE FIVE SWIMMING POOLS. SHE COMBED THROUGH HOURS OF PUBLIC MEETINGS, RECORDS ISOLATING CLIPS OF ROBIN SPEAKING FROM WHEN SHE STILL COULD. FROM THERE, SHE UPLOADED THEM INTO AN AI SOFTWARE TO RECREATE ROBIN’S VOICE, WHICH SHE USED TO ACCEPT. NORWALK CITIZEN OF THE YEAR AWARD. I AM TRULY, DEEPLY HUMBLED AND GRATEFUL FOR THIS RECOGNITION. IT SOUNDED AS IF SHE WAS JUST STANDING THERE SPEAKING ON HER OWN. IN FACT, I HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE SAY I DIDN’T REALIZE THAT SHE WAS PLAYING A RECORDING OF HER VOICE. BUT FOR LEEPER, IT WASN’T JUST EXCITING TO BE ABLE TO HEAR HER OWN VOICE AGAIN. IT WAS A CHANCE TO FEEL LIKE HERSELF AGAIN. IT’S YOUR IDENTITY. PEOPLE CAN HEAR YOUR VOICE WITHOUT SEEING YOUR FACE, AND THEY KNOW THAT’S YOU. AS FOR WHAT’S NEXT, SHE’S GOT A NEW PRIORITY. FINDING A CURE. BOXHOLM. LIKE I SAID, A PRETTY INCREDIBLE STORY. AND SPEAKING OF FINDING A CURE, LEEPER WILL BE AT THIS SATURDAY’S WALK TO DEFEAT ALS IN ALTOONA. FOR MORE DETAILS ON THAT WALK AND HOW YOU CAN HELP SUPPORT LEEPER. BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THIS STORY ON KCCI.COM. FIRST OF ALL, AN AMAZING EXAMPLE OF THE GOOD THAT TECHNOLOGY CAN DO. ABSOLUTELY A CREDIT TO EVERYBODY WHO HELPED THIS HAPPEN. AND ROBIN, YOU KNOW, WE’RE THINKING OF YOU AND ADMIRE YOUR STRENGTH. AND I KNO

    Woman who lost her ability to speak due to ALS got it back in an unexpected way

    Updated: 4:02 AM PDT Oct 11, 2025

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    An Iowa woman who lost her ability to speak due to ALS got it back in an unexpected way.Robin Leaper was diagnosed with ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, in 2023. Since then, she’s struggled with muscle weakness and difficulty eating, and she’s no longer able to speak. It’s been an adjustment, to say the least.”For the first year, I couldn’t even say ALS without crying,” she said. When she was diagnosed, she was the Parks and Recreation director for the city of Norwalk.Since then, she’s tried to communicate in other ways, like text-to-speech software or sign language, but neither one has allowed her to use her own voice.Until the city’s marketing and communications specialist, Tai Lieu, came in.Lieu combed through hours of public meeting recordings in which Leaper spoke, isolating her vocals and uploading them to an AI voice recreation software.That software allows Leaper to type her words, which are then read aloud in her own voice.”It sounded as if she was just standing there, speaking on her own,” Lieu said of Leaper’s first attempt at using the software when she won Norwalk’s Citizen of the Year Award last year. “I had several people say, ‘I didn’t realize she was playing a recording of her voice.’”But for Leaper, the AI recreation does more than allow her to use her own voice; it allows her to feel like herself again.”It’s your identity,” she said. “People can hear your voice without seeing, and they know it’s you. It gave me back a little piece ALS stole from me.”As for what’s next, Leaper says she has a new priority: finding a cure.She plans to start with Altoona’s Walk to Defeat ALS on Saturday.

    An Iowa woman who lost her ability to speak due to ALS got it back in an unexpected way.

    Robin Leaper was diagnosed with ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, in 2023. Since then, she’s struggled with muscle weakness and difficulty eating, and she’s no longer able to speak.

    It’s been an adjustment, to say the least.

    “For the first year, I couldn’t even say ALS without crying,” she said.

    When she was diagnosed, she was the Parks and Recreation director for the city of Norwalk.

    Since then, she’s tried to communicate in other ways, like text-to-speech software or sign language, but neither one has allowed her to use her own voice.

    Until the city’s marketing and communications specialist, Tai Lieu, came in.

    Lieu combed through hours of public meeting recordings in which Leaper spoke, isolating her vocals and uploading them to an AI voice recreation software.

    That software allows Leaper to type her words, which are then read aloud in her own voice.

    “It sounded as if she was just standing there, speaking on her own,” Lieu said of Leaper’s first attempt at using the software when she won Norwalk’s Citizen of the Year Award last year. “I had several people say, ‘I didn’t realize she was playing a recording of her voice.’”

    But for Leaper, the AI recreation does more than allow her to use her own voice; it allows her to feel like herself again.

    “It’s your identity,” she said. “People can hear your voice without seeing, and they know it’s you. It gave me back a little piece ALS stole from me.”

    As for what’s next, Leaper says she has a new priority: finding a cure.

    She plans to start with Altoona’s Walk to Defeat ALS on Saturday.

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  • Man pleads guilty to throwing Molotov cocktail at deputies during L.A. protest

    A man admitted Wednesday that he lit a Molotov cocktail and threw it toward Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies during protests against immigration crackdowns over the summer.

    Emiliano Garduno Galvez, 23, who authorities said is a citizen of Mexico in the country illegally, pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing an unregistered destructive device and civil disorder tied to his actions the evening of June 7 in Paramount.

    Galvez is set to be sentenced Jan. 30, and he faces up to 15 years in prison.

    On the morning of June 7, Border Patrol agents were spotted gathering in Paramount, across the street from the Home Depot. Word quickly spread on social media. Passersby honked their horns. Soon, protesters arrived.

    Already tensions were high, with federal officials raiding a retail and distribution warehouse in downtown L.A. the day before, arresting dozens of workers and a top union official.

    According to the plea agreement, several people gathered near Hunsaker Avenue and Alondra Boulevard in Paramount and began amassing around personnel of federal agencies and later local law enforcement. People threw rocks or chunks of cinder blocks, lit objects on fire and set off fireworks in the direction of law enforcement, Galvez’s agreement states.

    Authorities said the protest interfered with “the coordination of federal agencies’ personnel and preparation for immigration enforcement activities,” and also “obstructed, delayed, and adversely affected commerce.”

    Specifically, according to the plea agreement, the Home Depot at the location had to close temporarily “and had products stolen during the civil disorder, including cinder blocks that were thrown at law enforcement.”

    Galvez admitted he was in Paramount that evening and that he saw the sheriff’s deputies engaged in crowd control. As the deputies tried to disperse and move the crowd back, Galvez admitted in the plea agreement to going behind a stone wall, lighting the wick inside the Molotov cocktail and then throwing it over the wall toward where he had seen the deputies.

    The Molotov cocktail landed in a grassy area near the foot of a protester and around 15 feet from the deputies, according to the plea agreement. Galvez admitted that he then ran from the area.

    Galvez threw the Molotov cocktail “intending to obstruct, interfere with, and impede the LASD deputies who were lawfully engaged in performance of official duties,” according to the agreement.

    Brittny Mejia

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  • Sacramento residents hope for luck as Powerball jackpot hits $1.1 billion

    The Powerball jackpot reached $1.1 billion after no tickets matched all six numbers in Saturday night’s drawing, making it the fifth-largest prize ever. The cash value is nearly half a billion dollars. In Sacramento, hopefuls headed to Lichine’s Liquor on South Land Park Drive, a store known for its lucky streak, having sold a winning ticket worth $1.7 million last year.KCRA 3 asked several people buying tickets what they would do with the money if they won. “A lot of plans, I have a family to take care of. For myself, a vacation. I’m retired now, so it’s a good time to get some money and enjoy life,” said Shajendra Sharma. “Oh man, we’re gonna do a whole lot of magic,” said Frank Dumlao. “Take care of the family, take care of some of the people that need it more than others, you know, stuff like that.””I think it would be a great opportunity to take some vacation in Europe, you know. And buy a home on the French Riviera, yeah. My dream,” said Francis Bourton.The dreamers of winning big bought their tickets at Luchine’s Liquor Store, which has had several big winners in the past.”It’s why everybody comes here,” said Dumlao.The California Lottery once listed the store as the sixth-luckiest place in the state for winning $1 million or more.The Chevron gas station in Arden-Arcade was also busy on Monday. It’s a lucky store too.It sold a $41 million Super Lotto ticket in 2022.”We have sold many… two Powerballs and one Super Lotto, and it’s lucky. So that’s why people are coming and buying the lottos from here,” said clerk Rahul Riydan.Only six Powerball grand prizes have topped a billion dollars, and the odds of winning are about one in 292 million. Four Californians missed Saturday’s jackpot by just one number but still won seven-figure payouts. Learn more here. Unfortunately, no big winners in Sacramento on Monday. But one Californian matched five numbers, winning around $1.3 million. Learn more here. For anyone hoping for similar luck, the next drawing is Wednesday at 8 p.m., and tickets are $2.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

    The Powerball jackpot reached $1.1 billion after no tickets matched all six numbers in Saturday night’s drawing, making it the fifth-largest prize ever. The cash value is nearly half a billion dollars.

    In Sacramento, hopefuls headed to Lichine’s Liquor on South Land Park Drive, a store known for its lucky streak, having sold a winning ticket worth $1.7 million last year.

    KCRA 3 asked several people buying tickets what they would do with the money if they won.

    “A lot of plans, I have a family to take care of. For myself, a vacation. I’m retired now, so it’s a good time to get some money and enjoy life,” said Shajendra Sharma.

    “Oh man, we’re gonna do a whole lot of magic,” said Frank Dumlao. “Take care of the family, take care of some of the people that need it more than others, you know, stuff like that.”

    “I think it would be a great opportunity to take some vacation in Europe, you know. And buy a home on the French Riviera, yeah. My dream,” said Francis Bourton.

    The dreamers of winning big bought their tickets at Luchine’s Liquor Store, which has had several big winners in the past.

    “It’s why everybody comes here,” said Dumlao.

    The California Lottery once listed the store as the sixth-luckiest place in the state for winning $1 million or more.

    The Chevron gas station in Arden-Arcade was also busy on Monday. It’s a lucky store too.

    It sold a $41 million Super Lotto ticket in 2022.

    “We have sold many… two Powerballs and one Super Lotto, and it’s lucky. So that’s why people are coming and buying the lottos from here,” said clerk Rahul Riydan.

    Only six Powerball grand prizes have topped a billion dollars, and the odds of winning are about one in 292 million.

    Four Californians missed Saturday’s jackpot by just one number but still won seven-figure payouts. Learn more here.

    Unfortunately, no big winners in Sacramento on Monday. But one Californian matched five numbers, winning around $1.3 million. Learn more here.

    For anyone hoping for similar luck, the next drawing is Wednesday at 8 p.m., and tickets are $2.

    See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

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  • 5 dead, dozens injured after tour bus with about 50 people crashes in New York State, officials say

    A vacation to Niagara Falls ended in tragedy on Friday as a tour bus with about 50 passengers heading back to New York City crashed into a ditch, killing five people and injuring dozens.Officials believe most of the passengers were not wearing a seat belt, as multiple people were also ejected from the bus, which sustained heavy damage in the incident, said New York State Police spokesperson James O’Callaghan.“We believe there is a child that is a fatality,” he said.And translators are headed to the scene to assist police in the investigation, as most of the passengers were Indian, Chinese or Filipino, he said at a news conference.Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo received 24 patients and 20 are being treated, it confirmed at a Friday afternoon news conference.Video below: NY State Police Trooper James O’ Callaghan discusses bus crashAs the investigation unfolds, it’s not yet clear why the crash took place, O’Callaghan said, but he added authorities have a “good idea” of what caused the bus to roll over after losing control, without offering further details.The bus was driving at full speed and did not hit any other vehicles, but lost control from the median onward, O’Callaghan said.Helicopters, ambulances and law enforcement swarmed the crash site, where the bus was seen on its side with many people gathered around it.A list of the passengers provided by the bus company confirms there were 52 people on board, including the driver, police said in a statement.“Several witnesses observed the bus lose control, enter the median, then cross to the southern shoulder and overturn,” the state police said in a news release.The state’s department of transportation is trying to help people get off the interstate as some remain stranded due to the incident, O’Callaghan said. The state Thruway is currently closed in both directions near the crash site, state police say.“It’s a very volatile scene. We have vehicles going the wrong way on the 90,” he said, describing the area as “highly traveled.”The driver is “alive and well” and working with authorities, O’Callaghan said, and some victims were taken to the Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New York.New York Gov. Kathy Hochul described the crash as “tragic” and said first responders are “working to rescue and provide assistance to everyone involved” in a post on X.CNN has contacted the U.S. embassies for the Philippines, China and India for comment.

    PEMBROKE, N.Y. —

    A vacation to Niagara Falls ended in tragedy on Friday as a tour bus with about 50 passengers heading back to New York City crashed into a ditch, killing five people and injuring dozens.

    Officials believe most of the passengers were not wearing a seat belt, as multiple people were also ejected from the bus, which sustained heavy damage in the incident, said New York State Police spokesperson James O’Callaghan.

    “We believe there is a child that is a fatality,” he said.

    And translators are headed to the scene to assist police in the investigation, as most of the passengers were Indian, Chinese or Filipino, he said at a news conference.

    Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo received 24 patients and 20 are being treated, it confirmed at a Friday afternoon news conference.

    Video below: NY State Police Trooper James O’ Callaghan discusses bus crash

    As the investigation unfolds, it’s not yet clear why the crash took place, O’Callaghan said, but he added authorities have a “good idea” of what caused the bus to roll over after losing control, without offering further details.

    The bus was driving at full speed and did not hit any other vehicles, but lost control from the median onward, O’Callaghan said.

    Helicopters, ambulances and law enforcement swarmed the crash site, where the bus was seen on its side with many people gathered around it.

    A list of the passengers provided by the bus company confirms there were 52 people on board, including the driver, police said in a statement.

    “Several witnesses observed the bus lose control, enter the median, then cross to the southern shoulder and overturn,” the state police said in a news release.

    The state’s department of transportation is trying to help people get off the interstate as some remain stranded due to the incident, O’Callaghan said. The state Thruway is currently closed in both directions near the crash site, state police say.

    “It’s a very volatile scene. We have vehicles going the wrong way on the 90,” he said, describing the area as “highly traveled.”

    The driver is “alive and well” and working with authorities, O’Callaghan said, and some victims were taken to the Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New York.

    New York Gov. Kathy Hochul described the crash as “tragic” and said first responders are “working to rescue and provide assistance to everyone involved” in a post on X.

    CNN has contacted the U.S. embassies for the Philippines, China and India for comment.

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  • LAPD calls in bomb squad for one of the most massive fireworks busts in state history

    LAPD calls in bomb squad for one of the most massive fireworks busts in state history

    More than 120,000 pounds of fireworks were seized from an illegal operation in the South Bay area of Los Angeles in one of the biggest single fireworks busts in state history, authorities said.

    The fireworks cache was so massive that the Cal Fire bomb unit was called in to assist local police.

    Several people were arrested Saturday during an early morning raid, according to a joint statement by the Gardena Police Department and the Office of the State Fire Marshal’s Arson and Bomb Unit. The exact location was not disclosed.

    Some of the fireworks measured up to 8 inches in diameter — roughly the same as a bowling ball. More than 2,000 illegal destructive devices and 10 pounds of bulk homemade explosives were also confiscated.

    No other information about the seizure was made available, given the pending criminal investigation. Anyone who has information about the case is asked to contact Cal Fire bomb unit at arsonbomb@fire.ca.gov.

    Last year, the Los Angeles Police Department seized 38,000 pounds of illegal fireworks from a South Los Angeles warehouse.

    That raid came two years after the LAPD injured 17 people and damaged 35 properties while trying to detonate a stash of fireworks in a South L.A. neighborhood, displacing dozens of residents.

    With the Fourth of July approaching, Cal Fire is reminding the public that it is illegal to sell, transport or use fireworks that don’t carry the “Safe and Sane” seal. Fireworks also can’t be set off in communities that prohibit them. Depending on the offense, violators of fireworks laws could face up to a year in jail and fines of up to $50,000 if convicted.

    Tyrone Beason

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