Topline: A Buena Park man is now facing felony charges nearly a year after prosecutors say an illegal fireworks grand finale malfunctioned, exploded into a family gathering and killed an 8-year-old girl.
Published: July 6, 2026 4:30 pm ET
Shawn Fletcher
Committed to the craft of journalism and am driven by my desire to inform and inspire.
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Jasmine Nguyen, left, and Earl Decastro (via Family handout / Buena Park Police Department)
BUENA PARK, CA — Earl Decastro, 47, was charged Wednesday with involuntary manslaughter, unlawfully causing fire with great bodily injury and illegal possession of more than 100 pounds of dangerous fireworks in connection with a deadly July 4, 2025 blast outside his home, according to prosecutors.
According to the Los Angeles Times, prosecutors said Decastro bought both legal and illegal fireworks for a neighborhood party in front of his home. The purchases allegedly included a $400 illegal firework cake bought from an unlicensed seller that contained professional-grade explosives requiring a permit or license to buy, store, transport or use.
Prosecutors said Decastro spent more than an hour shooting off fireworks in the street before lighting the $400 firework as part of the grand finale. The 8-year-old girl was sitting with her family next to a covered table that also held additional unspent fireworks, according to the district attorney’s office.
When the illegal firework malfunctioned, prosecutors said it fired aerial mortar shells into the driveway where partygoers had gathered to watch. The shells then hit the table holding the unspent fireworks and triggered a larger explosion. Many people were able to get away, but the child was not.
The girl was pronounced dead at UC Irvine Medical Center despite the efforts of first responders, the newspaper reported. Decastro faces up to six years in state prison if he is convicted on all charges.
District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement that buying and lighting illegal fireworks is not an accident and said a few seconds of fun is not worth a lifetime of trauma.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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$400 Illegal Firework Allegedly Triggered Explosion That Killed 8-Year-Old, Prosecutors Say
A Buena Park man is now facing felony charges nearly a year after prosecutors say an illegal fireworks grand finale malfunctioned, exploded into a family gathering and killed an 8-year-old girl.
By Shawn Fletcher
Published: July 6, 2026 4:30 pm ET
Jasmine Nguyen, left, and Earl Decastro (via Family handout / Buena Park Police Department)
BUENA PARK, CA — Earl Decastro, 47, was charged Wednesday with involuntary manslaughter, unlawfully causing fire with great bodily injury and illegal possession of more than 100 pounds of dangerous fireworks in connection with a deadly July 4, 2025 blast outside his home, according to prosecutors.
According to the Los Angeles Times, prosecutors said Decastro bought both legal and illegal fireworks for a neighborhood party in front of his home. The purchases allegedly included a $400 illegal firework cake bought from an unlicensed seller that contained professional-grade explosives requiring a permit or license to buy, store, transport or use.
Prosecutors said Decastro spent more than an hour shooting off fireworks in the street before lighting the $400 firework as part of the grand finale. The 8-year-old girl was sitting with her family next to a covered table that also held additional unspent fireworks, according to the district attorney’s office.
When the illegal firework malfunctioned, prosecutors said it fired aerial mortar shells into the driveway where partygoers had gathered to watch. The shells then hit the table holding the unspent fireworks and triggered a larger explosion. Many people were able to get away, but the child was not.
The girl was pronounced dead at UC Irvine Medical Center despite the efforts of first responders, the newspaper reported. Decastro faces up to six years in state prison if he is convicted on all charges.
District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement that buying and lighting illegal fireworks is not an accident and said a few seconds of fun is not worth a lifetime of trauma.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
$400 Illegal Firework Allegedly Triggered Explosion That Killed 8-Year-Old, Prosecutors Say
A Buena Park man is now facing felony charges nearly a year after prosecutors say an illegal fireworks grand finale malfunctioned, exploded into a family gathering and killed an 8-year-old girl.
By Shawn Fletcher
Published: July 6, 2026 4:30 pm ET
Jasmine Nguyen, left, and Earl Decastro (via Family handout / Buena Park Police Department)
BUENA PARK, CA — Earl Decastro, 47, was charged Wednesday with involuntary manslaughter, unlawfully causing fire with great bodily injury and illegal possession of more than 100 pounds of dangerous fireworks in connection with a deadly July 4, 2025 blast outside his home, according to prosecutors.
According to the Los Angeles Times, prosecutors said Decastro bought both legal and illegal fireworks for a neighborhood party in front of his home. The purchases allegedly included a $400 illegal firework cake bought from an unlicensed seller that contained professional-grade explosives requiring a permit or license to buy, store, transport or use.
Prosecutors said Decastro spent more than an hour shooting off fireworks in the street before lighting the $400 firework as part of the grand finale. The 8-year-old girl was sitting with her family next to a covered table that also held additional unspent fireworks, according to the district attorney’s office.
When the illegal firework malfunctioned, prosecutors said it fired aerial mortar shells into the driveway where partygoers had gathered to watch. The shells then hit the table holding the unspent fireworks and triggered a larger explosion. Many people were able to get away, but the child was not.
The girl was pronounced dead at UC Irvine Medical Center despite the efforts of first responders, the newspaper reported. Decastro faces up to six years in state prison if he is convicted on all charges.
District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement that buying and lighting illegal fireworks is not an accident and said a few seconds of fun is not worth a lifetime of trauma.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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