San Mateo authorities seize 15,000 pounds of illegal fireworks
Booking photo of Sam San, left, who was arrested for selling illegal fireworks. Right, some of the 15,000 pounds of illegal fireworks confiscated during the investigation.
(San Mateo County Sheriff’s Deptartment)
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The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office seized roughly 15,000 pounds of illegal fireworks and $1 million in cash following an investigation into a major distribution line of the explosives ahead of the Fourth of July.
Sam San, 61, of San Francisco, was booked into jail last week on suspicion of selling illegal fireworks. Authorities have identified another suspect, a 54-year-old San Jose woman who has not yet been charged and is not in custody, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Firebugs beware: Dinty the dog joins San Bernardino County Fire s arson team
Firebugs beware. Dinty the dog is on duty.
The San Bernardino County Fire Department announced Thursday that the 4-year-old male Labrador retriever had joined its investigation team with the Office of the Fire Marshal.
Dinty is the first arson, or accelerant detection, canine that the department has had in more than 20 years since Meg, who County Fire Chief Dan Munsey described as being “really good at catching arsonists and putting them behind bars where they needed to be.”
Dinty is also one of only five dogs across California trained through a State Farm Insurance program and the lone animal with such training in the county.
San Bernardino County Fire Prevention Officers will use a new tool to combat illegal fireworks contact-free citations. Rather than chasing down people using illegal pyrotechnics, fire investigators will use geographic information systems (GIS) data to pinpoint the exact location of the violation. Fire investigators will take photographs and collect other evidence before remotely issuing the property owner an administrative citation that carries a fine of up to $1,250. The citations usually arrive about a week to two weeks after being issued. Landlords may want to remind their tenants not to use illegal fireworks since the citation will be issued to the owner of record, not the tenant.
San Bernardino County Fire Prevention Officers will use a new tool to combat illegal fireworks contact-free citations. Rather than chasing down people using illegal pyrotechnics, fire investigators will use geographic information systems (GIS) data to pinpoint the exact location of the violation. Fire investigators will take photographs and collect other evidence before remotely issuing the property owner an administrative citation that carries a fine of up to $1,250. The citations usually arrive about a week to two weeks after being issued. Landlords may want to remind their tenants not to use illegal fireworks since the citation will be issued to the owner of record, not the tenant.