Nearly a year after a Fourth of July fireworks show in Buena Park went catastrophically wrong and killed an 8-year-old girl, prosecutors have filed a felony involuntary manslaughter charge against the homeowner accused of lighting the illegal display. The July 2, 2026 filing names 47-year-old Earl Decastro and has reignited questions about neighborhood fireworks and whether local rules actually protect the people watching from the sidewalk or front lawn.
DA files charges nearly a year after the blast
The Orange County District Attorney's Office announced the charge Tuesday, according to NBC Los Angeles. District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement there was "nothing accidental" about buying and igniting illegal fireworks, adding, "An eight-year-old little girl is dead and the man who killed her is going to be held responsible." The filing includes one count of involuntary manslaughter along with additional allegations tied to the size of the backyard show.
What investigators say
Buena Park police say officers were patrolling the 8000 block of Cornflower Circle on the night of July 4, 2025 when they saw a large fireworks display that "failed" and began misfiring toward a home. The malfunction reportedly triggered other nearby devices where partygoers had gathered, according to a press release from the Buena Park Police Department. First responders carried the injured child to a nearby residence and she was then taken to UC Irvine Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. Working with the Orange County Fire Authority and the sheriff's bomb squad, investigators later concluded that many of the fireworks used that night were illegal.
Charges and penalties
Prosecutors have charged Decastro with one felony count of involuntary manslaughter, along with additional counts that include illegal possession of more than 100 pounds of dangerous fireworks and recklessly setting fire causing great bodily injury. The extra accusations are tied to the scope of the display and the chain reaction of misfiring devices, prosecutors say. If convicted on the felony counts, Decastro faces up to six years in state prison, according to NBC Los Angeles.
Local reaction and policy debate
The girl's death has already pushed Buena Park officials to revisit how the city treats holiday fireworks. City council members have been weighing whether to ask voters to prohibit even so-called "safe-and-sane" consumer fireworks, reporting by the Los Angeles Times noted. Local outlets previously covered the July 2025 arrest and a neighborhood memorial for the child. Earlier coverage under the headline 8-Year-Old Girl Dies highlighted how the tragedy shook the quiet residential block.
The case will now move through the Orange County court system and is expected to be handled by the DA's homicide unit, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office. Anyone who has additional information about the July 4 display is asked to contact the Buena Park Police Department, as outlined in the department's press release.
