A California man has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, nearly one year after an illegal fireworks display malfunctioned and killed an 8-year-old girl during a Fourth of July celebration.
Earl Decastro, 47, was charged Wednesday in connection with the death of Jasmine Nguyen, who was killed last year at a neighborhood gathering in Buena Park. Prosecutors stated that Decastro ignited an illegal, professional-grade "cake" firework, which required a permit to purchase and use. The device malfunctioned and fired mortar shells directly into the driveway where Jasmine and her family were watching, causing partygoers to flee into Decastro's home.
Jasmine was with her mother and 7-year-old sister in Decastro's driveway when the incident occurred. According to the Orange County Prosecutors Office, she was critically injured by shrapnel and igniting fireworks near a table before she could reach safety inside the house. She was transported to the University of California Irvine Medical Center, where she could not be saved.
"It happened so quick. A fun day of friends turns into a nightmare," Jasmine's mother, Haley Nguyen, told the Orange County Register. Nguyen, who was also struck by a firework, described the scene as chaotic, with some attendees bleeding. Despite her grief, Nguyen had expressed that she did not want to see Decastro charged, calling the incident an accident.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer disagreed with the assessment of an accident. "There is nothing accidental about buying and lighting illegal fireworks," Spitzer said in a statement. "An eight-year-old little girl is dead and the man who killed her is going to be held responsible. A few seconds of fun is not worth a lifetime of trauma and the loss of a beautiful little girl who never had the chance to grow up."
Decastro also faces charges of recklessly setting fire and possession of over 100 pounds of illegal fireworks. If convicted, he faces up to six years in prison. The delay in filing charges was not immediately explained.