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A woman in her twenties was killed and three others were injured after a fireworks explosion during Fourth of July celebrations on Saturday night in Chino, California. The incident happened around 8:30 p.m. on D Street, about 35 miles east of Los Angeles, when a large quantity of fireworks ignited, causing a powerful blast that also set a car on fire.
According to the Chino Police Department, three adults and one child were taken to local hospitals. The woman later died from her injuries. The other two adults suffered serious injuries but are expected to survive, while the child was released to family after evaluation.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene, with residents rushing to escape as flames engulfed a vehicle and a nearby palm tree briefly caught fire. Video taken moments after the explosion shows neighbors yelling for everyone to get back. “It clearly looked like there was a bunch of illegal fireworks in the trunk,” eyewitness Gabriel Gilmore told KABC. However, authorities have not confirmed the exact source or how the fireworks were ignited.
Police detained Derion Tradon James Jr., a 28-year-old resident of Hesperia, at the scene. He has been booked into the West Valley Detention Center on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter and is being held on $50,000 bail, with a court appearance scheduled for Tuesday morning.
The Chino Police Department is leading the investigation with help from the Chino Valley Fire District and the Ontario Fire Bomb Squad. The criminal case will be submitted to the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office for review. Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact Detective Gregory at 909-334-3136.