Latest news with #RoxiFyad
Los Angeles Times
03-07-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Costa Mesa police seize 1,339 lbs of illegal fireworks, warn residents to stay safe
Costa Mesa police are warning residents to avoid seasonal dangers during this year's three-day Independence Day weekend, sharing news of a buy-bust operation that led to three arrests and the seizure of 1,339 pounds of illegal fireworks, drugs and a gun. Along with social media announcements of the city's zero tolerance policy for explosives beyond those deemed 'safe and sane,' news of the bust comes an annual operational enhancement aimed at minimizing citations and fireworks-related calls for service during the holiday. Costa Mesa Police Department spokeswoman Roxi Fyad confirmed the suspects involved in the busts — carried out by detectives with the Special Investigations Unit — were detained for attempting to sell illegal fireworks online to officers who posed as customers and met suspects at locations in town. The detective work is part of a broader campaign to raise awareness and educate residents about the city's rules surrounding the purchase and detonation of fireworks, particularly for those living in certain 'hot spot' areas, where calls for service climb as Independence Day approaches. Legal fireworks, available at city-approved stands, may be purchased from June 30 through July 4 and must be marked with a 'safe and sane' logo designated by the State Fire Marshal's office. However, they can only be discharged Wednesday through Friday, from 4 to 10 p.m. at a distance of at least 20 feet from viewers. Costa Mesa Fire Chief Dan Stefano teamed up with now retired Costa Mesa Police Chief Ron Lawrence in a video aired last week on social media to remind locals that possessing or setting off illegal fireworks is a misdemeanor, punishable by fines of up to $1,000 or even jail time, while selling such combustibles is a felony offense. Both departments have increased staffing and patrols to keep an eye out for illegal activities and potential fire hazards, newly appointed CMPD Interim Chief Joyce LaPointe shared Wednesday. 'Every year, we hear from residents about how frustrated they are due to the use of illegal fireworks,' LaPointe wrote in an email. 'We understand that frustration; it is challenging to catch and cite those that use illegal fireworks. Despite the challenge, we stay focused on enforcement.' Last year, the police department fielded 336 firework-related calls for service, 47 of which requested a police presence on scene. That figure is nearly half of the 668 calls placed in 2020, according to CMPD's 2024 Fourth of July Holiday Report. Between July 4 and 5, 2024, police and fire teams responded to nine trash or dumpster fires, one brush fire, four tree fires, three still alarms and two fire alarms, issuing four citations and arresting four people for misdemeanor firework-related municipal code violations, the report indicates.
Los Angeles Times
22-02-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Costa Mesa police bust 2 smoke shops for nitrous oxide sales, as county supports ban
As county officials draft a law to ban the sale of nitrous oxide gas in unincorporated Orange County, Costa Mesa police are educating residents about the dangers of inhaling laughing gas and citing retailers for improper sales of the substance. Police officials in a social media post this week shared photos of gas canisters and chargers seized from two Costa Mesa smoke shops. Members of the department's Special Investigations Unit determined employees had not been selling products in accordance with state laws. Although the retail sale of nitrous oxide — used medically for anesthesia and pain relief, as well as in certain foods such as canned whipped cream in some meringues — is not prohibited in California, its use for recreational purposes is a misdemeanor offense. Purveyors who sell nitrous oxide, also called NOX or NOS, are required by law to record all transactions, including customers' names and addresses, and make them sign a document highlighting the health risks and laws around sales and uses of the product. But on Jan. 24, members of Costa Mesa Police Department's Special Investigations Unit visited five smoke shops where nitrous oxide-related products are sold and found two purveyors out of compliance with the law, spokeswoman Roxi Fyad confirmed Friday. 'Investigators randomly chose five smoke shops to contact,' Fyad wrote in an email. 'Two had enforcement action for improperly selling nitrous oxide, and the other three [had been] closed for a significant amount of time, so contact was not made.' The two stores where citations were issued are located on the 700 block of Baker Street and the the 500 block of W. 19th St. CMPD reported 678 large cylinders and 5,542 small N20 chargers — aka whippets, or whip-its — were seized from one location, while about 183 large cylinders and 1,048 chargers were taken from the other. The products boasted a variety of flavors, ranging from mango and fruit punch to blue raspberry and coconut. Costa Mesa police reported Tuesday that in addition to the nitrous oxide, several local smoke shops' inventory included other illegal items. 'Detectives also found several of these businesses were unlawfully selling psilocybin and THC-related products, which they also seized and booked into evidence,' CMPD's post read. The seizures come as the Orange County Board of Supervisors earlier this month unanimously supported an ordinance that would ban the sale of nitrous oxide products in unincorporated areas. Supervisor Katrina Foley, who introduced the ordinance in a first reading by the panel during a Feb. 11 meeting, said the fact that laughing gas is legally and commonly sold at area smoke shops and liquor stores masks the health risks of ingesting the gas. 'NOX suffocates your brain, and causes serious neurological harm, even death. [But] because NOX is sold like a candy bar at a corner store, consumers falsely assume ingesting it is safe,' Foley said in a statement after the meeting. 'Allowing the sale of nitrous oxide at local shops offers zero benefit to consumers. It only endangers public health.' A second reading of the proposed ordinance is set for later this month. If approved, the county health officer would be directed to prepare a report and make recommendations on the abuse, use and sales of the substance throughout Orange County and direct county counsel to take legal action as necessary on related matters, according to an agenda report.
