[symple_googlemap title=”Pretrial hearing for illegal fireworks” location=”Beach Boulevard and La Cadena Lane, La Habra, CA” height=”300″ zoom=”16″]
A pretrial hearing is scheduled for July 10 for two men who pleaded not guilty to felony charges related to setting off fireworks in La Habra.
Giovani Montes, 22, of La Habra and Jesus Guiterrez, 23, of San Bernardino, were arrested Tuesday night and made their pleas Thursday, according to La Habra Police.
Police were called about fireworks being set off about 9 p.m. at Beach Boulevard and La Cadena Lane, police said. When officers arrived at the scene, Montes ran away, but police caught him after a short chase on foot, police said.
Montes was charged with possession of a destructive device, a felony, and two misdemeanor counts of using prohibited fireworks and resisting arrest.
Gutierrez was charged with felony possession of a destructive device and a misdemeanor count of using prohibited fireworks, according to court records.
Montes pleaded guilty Sept. 29 to resisting arrest and was sentenced to 16 days of public service in lieu of jail and placed on three years of informal probation, according to court records.
Montes again pleaded guilty to resisting arrest Jan. 13 and was sentenced to a month in jail and three years of informal probation, according to court records.
La Habra Police warned residents that all fireworks are prohibited in the city. Fines can be as high as $1,000, police said.
—City News Service