Police released video from the June 1 incident in downtown Riverside that shows a car stopping at an intersection, followed by the driver appearing to light a large firework.
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Footage shows a person from the crowd tossing the firework back into the vehicle as people nearby run.
Moments later, the firework explodes inside the car.
Riverside police say a "group of onlookers and the suspect driver" then assaulted the person who threw the firework into the vehicle.
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Based on the video, detectives obtained the car's license plate and photos of the driver, police say. The suspect was identified as Gabriel Castillo, a 20-year-old Perris resident currently on probation for evading police.
Castillo was arrested Tuesday, after a probation search was made at a home. He was booked on illegal fireworks and probation violations.
He is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.
The department says it is still looking for several other people that vandalized and looted businesses that day, and released a video of the instances.
Police said in a statement that once peaceful demonstrations finished, rioters caused numerous acts of vandalism and fireworks were thrown at law enforcement.