Driver lights firework during California protest, gets it tossed back into car - Video

Video appears to show a driver in Southern California attempting to light a firework in the middle of a protest, but then flee from the vicinity after the firework was tossed back into the car.
Friday, June 26, 2020
RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- Video appears to show a driver in Southern California lighting a firework in the middle of a protest, but then flee from the vicinity after the firework was tossed back into the vehicle.

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.
[Ads /]
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.
[Ads /]
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.
Copyright © 2024 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.