At least six people are arrested and thousands of dollars in illegal fireworks are seized during citywide crackdown in New York as complaints over explosives soar amid bizarre new trend spreading across the nation (9 Pics)
At least six people have been arrested across New York City as authorities attempt to crack down on the sale of illegal fireworks following three weeks of sleepless nights amid a bizarre new trend spreading across the nation.
Two Queens men are facing charges after they were found with $6,000 worth of illegal explosives in their car brought in from out of state in Staten Island on Tuesday.
Another two people were arrested in Brooklyn's Canarsie neighborhood after being busted with fireworks worth up to $2,000 that are believed to have come from Pennsylvania.
The sale and possession of pyrotechnic devices is illegal in New York City yet they have become a public nuisance over the past few weeks with residents complaining about explosives being set off nearly every night.
FDNY officials released photos of Tuesday's bust in Staten Island after two men from Queens were found with $6,000 worth of illegal fireworks in their car
Matthew King (left) 35, and Rayval Singh (right) 22, were arrested and charged with reckless endangerment and the unlawful dealing of fireworks
The phenomenon has also spread across the country, with Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston and California cities reporting an increase of complaints over fireworks.
Mayor Bill de Blasio on Tuesday launched a new 'illegal fireworks task force' in a bid to restore peace in the city and to crack down on suppliers bringing them in from out of state.
The trend has become so widespread the city's 311 public service hotline has received 6,385 complaints from June 1 to June 19 - compared to just seven calls fielded this time last year.
NEW YORK CITY
FDNY Fire Marshals on Tuesday night said they seized more than $6,000 worth of illegal fireworks during a bust in Staten Island involving two men from Queens.
Matthew King, 35, and Rayval Singh, 22, were arrested and charged with reckless endangerment and the unlawful dealing of fireworks as officials were 'conducting surveillance to curtail the extensive illegal fireworks condition in our city.'
The two men were stopped on the Goethals Bridge while they were returning with the massive haul purchased in Pennsylvania, authorities said.
The two men were stopped on the Goethals Bridge while they were returning with their massive haul from Pennsylvania, authorities said
Two people in Canarsie, Brooklyn, were arrested after officials seized $2,000 worth of fireworks
Illegal fireworks illuminate the sky over the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough of New York City
A photo released to the public showed the large collection of fireworks - everything from firecrackers to sparklers - loaded in the trunk of the vehicle.
In East Flatbush in Brooklyn, another two people were busted by task force officers after they were found selling explosives that were also trafficked from Pennsylvania and valued at more than $2,500.
Two people in the Bronx were also caught dealing fireworks from their car, while one person was issued a court summons for buying them.
The increasing use of fireworks in New York City have not only become a disturbance but a safety issue as well.
The NYPD announced it is offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest of the man who was filmed throwing a lit firework at a homeless man sleeping on the street on Monday.
Video of the disturbing incident was shared on social media, showing a man hurling the explosive in the homeless man's direction as he slept on the sidewalk in 67 Lenox Avenue.
The victim was taken to the hospital and was treated for minor burns.
