Lakewood Council to Vote on Fireworks

Bombarded with complaints about a possible moratorium on fireworks sales, the Lakewood City Council is set to vote today whether to call a special election for voters to decide if the sale, possession and discharge of legal fireworks should be banned or continued.

Limits on fireworks sales were proposed after a March 5 explosion of homemade fireworks lifted a house in the 6100 block of Dunrobin Avenue off its foundation, shattering nearby windows and rocking houses within a two-mile radius.

Councilman Todd Rogers, a sheriff’s captain, said during a council meeting last week that he recognized that many local groups depend on funding from sales from roadside stands of so-called safe and sane fireworks -- an alternative to more-powerful illicit pyrotechnics.

But, he said, “Do I think safe and sane fireworks encourage the use of illegal fireworks? Yes, I do. No doubt.”

Brian Miller, who rented the house that blew up, has been charged with nine felony counts, including possession of an explosive, possession for sale of methamphetamine and two counts of child abuse. Miller has not yet entered a plea.

More than 100 residents packed the council meeting -- and a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department meeting the night before -- and many of them clamored to testify that deputies had ignored years of complaints about Miller setting off fireworks at his home.

“It wasn’t a matter of if Brian Miller was going to do this,” said Traci Hildebrant, a neighbor who lost 12 windows and two doors in the recent explosion, “it was a matter of when.”

Hildebrant said she repeatedly reported booms sounding from Miller’s residence, and bottle rockets she found embedded in her roof. “Two a.m., 5 p.m., midnight, 9 a.m. -- you couldn’t put a clock to this guy,” she said. “I know, because I tried.” She said Miller’s two young stepsons recently told her, “Daddy got a new cannon.”

“ ‘Oh,’ I said. ‘Well, isn’t that nice?’ ”

At the sheriff’s meeting, Jeff Hansen said he gave deputies a videotape of Miller shooting off illegal fireworks on the Fourth of July, along with a rocket launcher he said he found in Miller’s yard.

Capt. Dave Fender said the sheriff’s station responded by sending out a special assignment team, which staked out the home on 12 occasions and found no sign of illegal fireworks use.

Deputies also searched the Miller residence several times, even rooting through his trash bins. They found nothing, Fender said. The captain said the station had logged 43 calls of disturbances at Miller’s home and within a couple of blocks -- a comment that spurred grumbles from the crowd.

Hansen, standing in a line of people waiting their turn to speak, shouted: “I’ve called more than 40 times, and I’m just one person. Raise your hand if you’ve made multiple calls!” About 25 hands shot up.

Hildebrandt said deputies, responding to her complaints, suggested that she make a citizen’s arrest of Miller. “Oh, yeah, I’m going to do a citizen’s arrest of a 240-pound man on drugs, with explosives,” said Hildebrandt, who added that she and her husband are still sleeping on their couch because of the glass shards embedded in their furniture and carpeting.

At the council meeting, Mayor Joseph Esquivel reminded the audience that the motion on the table was whether the city would allow the sale of “safe and sane” fireworks, not the Dunrobin Avenue explosion.

Lakewood is one of 38 cities in the county that permit certain fireworks sales by community groups. Several leaders of sports and philanthropic organizations pleaded with the council to allow the sales to continue.

Lakewood Pacific Junior Football and Cheer derives 45% of its annual take from those booths, Dina Schmidt told the council, her voice quavering. “Before you make this decision, think about the 348 families and 500 children you’ll be impacting.”

City employees were asked to research alternate funding mechanisms for nonprofits, and to investigate holding a municipal Independence Day fireworks display at a Lakewood park.

The council also appropriated $100,000 to create a neighborhood nuisance law enforcement team, and established a $100 reward for residents whose tips about illegal fireworks lead to arrests or citations.