8-year-old Southern California girl killed in July 4 fireworks explosion
The deadly incident unfolded about 9:45 p.m. on a residential cul-de-sac in the 8000 block of Cornflower Circle in Buena Park, according to the Buena Park Police Department.
Patrol officers were in the area when they spotted family members "frantically" carrying a child into a home, the agency said in a written statement.
"Officers immediately stopped to assist and discovered a young girl suffered critical injuries, consistent with a fireworks-related explosion," the statement said.
First-responders provided medical care and rushed the badly injured girl to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead, officials said.
Investigators determined the explosion took place during what police described as a "large illegal fireworks display" that had been placed in the street by a neighborhood resident.
The fireworks "failed and began misfiring toward the residence where the child was," according to the statement. A burning projectile then struck other fireworks that were near the young victim, causing them to ignite as well.
"At some point, the child had been struck, causing fatal injuries," the statement said. No other injuries were reported.
The resident believed to have set off the fireworks was arrested, police said. The case would be presented to the Orange County District Attorney's Office for consideration of charges.
Authorities did not release the identity of the girl killed in the explosion "out of respect for the family," the police statement added,
No further details were available.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: 8-year-old Southern California girl killed in July 4 fireworks explosion
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
California wants new education requirements for police officers. Are they watered down?
Amid calls for police reform in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder in 2020, California lawmakers set out to raise education standards for incoming law enforcement officers. Five years later — as California faces a widespread shortage of police officers — those reforms are being debated once again. In 2020, former Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer introduced a bill that would have required prospective police officers 18 to 25 years old to earn a bachelor's degree before entering the police force. A growing body of research shows that college-educated law enforcement officers tend to use less force and exercise better decision making. The bill was ultimately revised after it was criticized as too restrictive by law enforcement and labor leaders. In an updated version, which was signed into law the following year, lawmakers agreed to raise the minimum age of a police officer to 21 years old, and they asked local police and school officials to create recommendations for new higher education requirements. This year, Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, a Democrat from Thousand Oaks, is proposing a new bill to establish education standards based on those recommendations, but some law enforcement and criminal justice reform advocates are skeptical — albeit for different reasons. Starting in 2031, Irwin's new law would require incoming officers to get a policing certificate, associate degree or bachelor's degree, although there are some exceptions within 36 months of graduating from a police academy. It also creates a law enforcement recruitment task force to identify and recruit candidates for law enforcement agencies throughout the state. In an interview with CalMatters, Jones-Sawyer said the current bill by Irwin undermines the original intent behind his 2021 law by allowing a loophole for incoming officers to satisfy the education requirement through a certificate, prior military experience or out-of-state law enforcement experience. Some policing experts, such as former justice department official Arif Alikhan, echoed those concerns and said the exceptions swallow the whole. 'It completely obviates the need to have any educational background,' said Alikhan. 'Officers who have a college education tend to perform better.' Representatives from some law enforcement unions, by contrast, think the bill still goes too far. Dustin Smith, president of the Sacramento Police Officers Association, said the new requirements 'would be catastrophic to staffing statewide,' limiting the supply of incoming officers. Those concerns haven't stopped the bill from sailing through the Legislature, where it has received widespread support from many law enforcement agencies. It's supported by all of California's statewide law enforcement advocacy groups, including the California Police Chiefs Association, the California State Sheriff's Association, the California Association of Highway Patrolmen and the umbrella labor organization that lobbies on behalf of police unions, the Peace Officers Research Association of California. It has received no formal opposition. Democratic lawmakers at odds with one another over new standards In introducing his bill, Jones-Sawyer viewed a college education as paramount to law enforcement training because it would expose incoming officers to new perspectives, healthy debate and critical thinking skills. 'We keep looking at law enforcement as if anybody can do it,' said Jones-Sawyer. 'No. You need a certain type of person to have the skills and ability to deal with modern-day policing.' Instead of requiring an associate degree in modern policing, as Jones-Sawyer said he intended, the new bill allows incoming police officers to meet the education standards with four years of military or out-of-state law enforcement experience. While Jones-Sawyer intended to carve out certain exceptions for people with prior specialized military or law enforcement experience, they would have only been given some credit – not all. New officers also have the option of attaining a 'professional policing certificate' from an accredited college or university, although that curriculum has not yet been developed. The new bill 'does not make policing better, it makes it devolve back into what it used to be,' said Jones-Sawyer. Irwin maintained that the bill advances his efforts and will help police officers improve themselves as they rise through the ranks. Many police chiefs and sheriffs view the bill as a meaningful way to raise education standards while affording incoming officers the flexibility to meet them. In May, Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna wrote a letter to Sen. Jesse Arreguín, an Oakland Democrat and chair of the Senate's public safety committee, arguing in favor of Irwin's bill. The sheriff's office once required all applicants to have a bachelor's degree, wrote Luna, but the requirement was 'short-lived' because the office saw 'an immediate decline in applicants by about 50 percent.' Luna said Irwin's bill is a 'more workable, more inclusive path forward' because it includes exceptions for those with non-academic experience. Although the vast majority of local law enforcement agencies nationwide only require a high school diploma, having a college degree can often create more opportunities for better pay and promotions. Police officer shortage: truth or myth? All across the state, law enforcement officials say staffing is an ongoing problem, which more education requirements might exacerbate. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office is short roughly 1,500 officers as of June 1, according to spokesperson Miesha McClendon. The office was able to respond to recent protests through the support of staff from other areas of law enforcement, including its jails and detective division, McClendon said. In rural areas, such as Plumas County in the northeast corner of the state, Undersheriff Chad Hermann said a single officer is sometimes responsible for covering communities that are as far as 70 miles apart. If that officer needs to make an arrest and drive a suspect to jail, a town could spend hours without any nearby police on duty, he said. Sheriffs and police officers say the shortage is due to several factors, including low wages in some communities, an aging workforce and negative perceptions of police following high-profile instances of misconduct. Departments are offering starting bonuses and other incentives, such as better benefits, as a way to recruit new officers. Some agencies gave record-breaking raises to officers coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. In some places, including the California Highway Patrol, entry-level officers can expect six-figure salaries and top notch benefits. But not all agencies can offer those perks. 'We're not a rich county — we can't offer the big hiring stipends,' said Hermann. 'By adding a requirement like an associate degree, it's going to make it harder to get people from our hiring pool.' He said even exceptions for those with military service may not help the recruiting problem since the hiring pool is so small in a county with just under 19,000 residents. While the new law enforcement recruitment task force in Irwin's bill is designed to ease some of those staffing challenges, Christy Lopez, a law professor at Georgetown University said it's troubling to see that it would only comprise people from law enforcement. 'We need to be moving towards a recruiting approach that seeks to screen in the right people, not just screen out the worst people,' she said. 'And to make sure that we develop that sort of approach to recruiting, you need perspectives broader than just law enforcement.' She said the police recruiting crisis is a myth. 'The idea that there's a crisis in recruiting presupposes that we know what the right number of police officers is and that we're not there,' she said. 'And we don't know that.' What it takes to become a police officer Devin Nisbet grew up in Calaveras County and as a kid, he had a positive experience with one of the officers when he prank-called 9-1-1. Instead of just disciplining Nisbet, who was around 6 years old, the officer gave him a tour of the police cruiser and handed him a patch with the sheriff's office logo. 'It made me want to be part of it,' said Nisbet in an interview with CalMatters. After dropping out of college, Nisbet was working for a grocery store in Calaveras County when that same sheriff's office held a recruiting event in a nearby parking lot. The agency promises a $10,000 bonus, spread out over three years, for new recruits. At the time, he said he thought to himself, 'Why not try to do this?' It took Nisbet roughly seven months to pass the county's background checks and exams, which include a written test, a psychological exam and a medical exam. He then received a tentative job offer from the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office, contingent on completing a police academy. In January, he enrolled in the police academy at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton. Police academy training in California typically takes a minimum of six months, but some police departments require far more training. Nisbet is paid by the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office for the entirety of this training, just under $34 an hour. The college program requires students to learn CPR, first aid, and various laws about use of force, search and seizure and firearms. They're tested in scenarios that can include chases or combat. In one timed exam, they must pull a 165 lb dummy, cross a 25 yard obstacle course, run 500 yards and scale a 6-foot fence. Some students fail to pass the academy's courses. Others never get hired because they fail the police department's background checks or have low scores. Nisbet is set to graduate on July 2, at which point he'll begin working, but his training won't be over. New officers must complete weeks of field training and a year of probation. 'I believe that people, if they want to do this job, they need to get evaluated first,' said Nisbet, though he said an associate degree shouldn't be required. He said many of his classmates don't have a college degree. ___ This story was originally published by CalMatters and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
Investigation finds Bay FC coach did not violate the NWSL's harassment and bullying policy
An independent investigation found that Bay FC coach Albertin Montoya did not violate the National Women's Soccer League's antiharassment, discrimination and bullying policy, but found shortcomings in his communication style. The investigation stemmed from a report in the San Francisco Chronicle in March that described a 'toxic' work environment. At least two formal complaints had been made about the team, the newspaper reported. Montoya was investigated for alleged violations of the Policy to Prevent and Eliminate Workplace Discrimination, Harassment, and Bullying. The findings were announced Tuesday. All parties cooperated with the investigation, which was conducted by New York-based law firm Debevoise & Plimpton. 'The league conducted a comprehensive review and determined Bay FC head coach Albertin Montoya was not in violation of any league rules,' Bay FC said in a statement in response to the league's announcement. 'We are grateful the league has identified opportunities for additional communication improvements which we are, and have been, implementing. We strive to be a player-centric club and will continue to work hard to make sure we have a supportive environment for our players. We believe in the culture we are building at Bay FC and will continue to support our players' growth on and off the pitch.' Among the findings were recommendations to 'facilitate more effective communication and enhance support structures, which the NWSL, Bay FC and coach Montoya have taken, and are continuing to take, to address such concerns,' the league said. The NWSL was rocked by an abuse and misconduct scandal in 2021. Five coaches resigned or were fired in the aftermath. In response, the NWSL implemented changes to protect players, including enhanced vetting of club employees and an anonymous tip line for players. The NWSL Players Association also negotiated safeguards in its collective-bargaining agreement with the league. ___ AP soccer:
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Two Found, Two Missing: An Agonizing Search After the Texas Floods
It was supposed to be a regular weekend trip with friends, to the house in Texas's Hill Country. Aidan Heartfield, a quiet, introspective young man, loved these weekends, often bringing his girlfriend, Ella Cahill, with him to his family's house. Together with Ms. Cahill's college roommate, Reese Manchaca, and a longtime friend from high school, Joyce Catherine Badon, they drove down to the house, in Hunt, Texas, near the Guadalupe River. The four of them, all 21, grilled, and Mr. Heartfield sent a selfie at around 1 a.m. Friday. Mr. Heartfield and Ms. Cahill had spent part of her sister's May wedding in Italy talking about what their own ceremony might be like. Sweethearts since sophomore year of high school, they planned to move in together after they graduated from college. Mr. Heartfield was excited about the marketing internship he had secured for his final year of school, while Ms. Cahill had settled on studying business management. But then, at around 4:30 a.m. Friday, Aidan woke up to water in the home. He called his father, who told them to get to higher ground. 'All hell broke loose,' said Mackenzie Cahill-Hodulik, Ms. Cahill's older sister, in an interview, recounting what she had been told. Mr. Heartfield handed the phone to Ms. Badon, saying he needed to help his girlfriend. There was a scream — 'Oh my god, they just got swept away' — and Ms. Badon said to tell her parents she loved them. Then the line went dead. In the days since, two bodies — those of Ms. Badon and Ms. Manchaca — have been recovered. Mr. Heartfield and Ms. Cahill have yet to be found. 'It's a stab in the heart really,' Ms. Cahill-Hodulik said. She added: 'They were just here to have a good time. They were great kids.' As she spoke Tuesday morning, she was standing on a slab, she said, all that was left of the home. The entire family, she said, had driven down to the area to search for her sister and her boyfriend. Some things have been recovered. A high school photo of Ms. Badon, Mr. Heartfield and Ms. Cahill in Mr. Heartfield's car. His watch and keys. Ms. Cahill's makeup bag. A sweatshirt on a tree limb half a mile from the house. 'There's no words to explain it,' Ms. Cahill-Hodulik said. 'In a way it's comforting, because we have a piece of her. But then I go back and think of just the state of what we found them in. And I go back to thinking of how scared she was.' She added: 'Our hope is that they're found together. We're going to stay as long as it takes. I don't think any of us will get any type of closure until they're found.'
