On June 28, 2018, Detectives from the Manteca Police Department, Stockton Police Department and San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant in the 2400 block of Country Club Blvd in Stockton. The search warrant was the culmination of an ongoing investigation into sales of illegal fireworks in the county.
Bomb Squad personnel from these agencies as well as undercover officers identified Steven Clark, age 40 from Stockton, as an individual selling illegal fireworks through an advertisement on Craigslist. Upon serving the search warrant at his residence, investigators located approximately 14,000 pounds of illegal fireworks.
The fireworks included aerial mortars, Roman candles and various other types of illegal fireworks and destructive devices.
Clark was arrested for various felony charges including possession of a destructive device, possession of a destructive device near a school, advertising for illegal fireworks sales and possession of illegal fireworks for sale (in excess of 5,000 pounds). He was later booked at the San Joaquin County Jail.
According to District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar, the fireworks were located next to a pre-school and Clark will now face additional charges because using 276 explosives, 14,000 pounds of fireworks next to a preschool endangers people of the community.
This was a collaborative effort through the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office, the Manteca Police Department and Fire Department, the Stockton Police Department and the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office. These agencies are part of a county wide task force addressing the ongoing issues related to illegal fireworks.The Stockton Police Department is encouraging people to call if they have information pertaining to people who are either selling or in possession of illegal fireworks. Callers are asked to call Stockton Crime Stoppers at (209) 946-0600. Callers can remain anonymous.
Citizens may also text information from their cell phones to ‘Crimes’ (274637) and type the keyword TIPSPD and then their tip or logon to the Stockton Police Department’s Facebook page and click ‘Submit A Tip’. Tipsters may also send tips on the Stockton PD Mobile Phone App. Tipsters can remain anonymous.
If you have any information that may lead to an arrest, call Crime Stoppers at (209) 946-0600. Crime Stoppers pays cash rewards up to $10,000.
