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A Hesperia man is accused of manslaughter after a July 4 fireworks explosion in Chino left a woman dead and three other people injured, authorities said.
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The explosion took place amid Independence Day celebrations about 8:30 p.m. in a residential neighborhood in the 5600 block of D Street in Chino, according to the Chino Police Department.
Officers first responded to reports of a vehicle fire, police said in a written statement.
“Upon arrival, officers discovered that an explosion had occurred and several people had been injured,” the statement said. “As a result of the explosion, a nearby vehicle also became engulfed in flames.”
Three adults were hospitalized with severe injuries. One adult, initially described only as a woman in her 20s, died from her injuries, authorities said. Her identity was yet to be released by San Bernardino County coroner’s officials.
The other two adult victims were expected to survive.
A child was also taken to a hospital for evaluation and quickly released from medical care.
“Based on the preliminary investigation, detectives believe a large quantity of fireworks ignited, causing the explosion,” the police statement said.
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Investigators identified Derion Tradon James Jr., 28, of Hesperia as a suspect in the deadly blast and arrested him on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter, according to police and county booking records.
Bail was set at $50,000 pending an initial court appearance.
The Ontario Fire Department Bob Squad was assisting Chino police in the investigation.
Officials shut down nearby roads as they gathered evidence and worked to ensure no further threat remained, police added.
Anyone with information was urged to contact Chino police Detective Gregory at (909) 334-3136. Information may also be provided anonymously to the WeTip hotline at (844) 909-3096.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Hesperia man arrested after fireworks explosion kills 1, injures 3
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Reporting by Brian Day, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect
This story was originally published July 5, 2026 at 12:35 PM.