- LAKEPORT POLICE DEPARTMENT
- Posted On
Lakeport Police arrest man for felony child endangerment after child injured by firework
LAKEPORT, Calif. — A Millbrae man was arrested on July 4 after police said he fired off illegal fireworks that seriously burned a child.
Ellery Penas, 46, was arrested following the incident, which occurred Monday night, the Lakeport Police Department reported.
The agency said its officers were dispatched to a North High Street location to investigate the report of a juvenile being struck and burned by a firework at 9:30 p.m. Monday.
When officers arrived, Lakeport Fire Protection District personnel were already on scene attending to the victim, police said.
The investigation revealed that Penas lit a multi-round firework launcher loaded with flaming ball charges.
After the system began to fire, a charge launched toward a group of people and struck a 4-year-old child in the torso area, burning through the clothing. A later medical examination at a hospital determined the child had received second-degree burns.
Officers placed Penas under arrest for felony child endangerment causing injury, launching a dangerous firework likely to injure and for possession of illegal fireworks. Penas was booked into the Lake County Correctional Facility.
The Lakeport Police Department said it has zero tolerance for illegal fireworks, and will be aggressive in efforts to seize them and prosecute offenders.
“These fireworks are dangerous and have the potential to cause very serious or fatal injuries as well as destructive fires. We are lucky that this child’s injuries were not more severe than they were,” the agency said in a Wednesday statement.
In addition to this incident, the agency said it had several other fireworks related incidents and arrests, including a grass fire started by a shooting firework. Police also seized more than 380 illegal fireworks.
Between July 1 and 4 there were hundreds of illegal fireworks being shot off in the city and many complaints from citizens regarding these incidents, police said.
This investigation remains ongoing and anyone with information regarding the case is asked to contact Investigating Officer Juan Altamirano at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 707-263-5491.