{"id":19439,"date":"2026-07-02T04:03:36","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T04:03:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=19439"},"modified":"2026-07-02T04:03:36","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T04:03:36","slug":"buena-park-man-charged-in-fourth-of-july-fireworks-blast-that-killed-8-year-old-girl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=19439","title":{"rendered":"Buena Park man charged in Fourth of July fireworks blast that killed 8-year-old girl"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

A Buena Park man has been charged with involuntary manslaughter nearly a year after an 8-year-old girl was killed when prosecutors say illegal fireworks he ignited malfunctioned during a Fourth of July party, the Orange County District Attorney\u2019s Office announced Wednesday, July 1.<\/p>\n

Read more UPS never required detailed inspection of part that failed before engine flew off plane that crashed<\/a><\/p>\n

Earl Decastro, 47, is charged with one felony count of involuntary manslaughter in the July 4, 2025, death of Anaheim resident Jasmine Nguyen, along with recklessly setting fire causing great bodily injury and illegally possessing more than 100 pounds of dangerous fireworks, prosecutors said. If convicted, he faces up to six years in state prison.<\/p>\n

According to prosecutors, Decastro purchased both legal and illegal fireworks for the party, including an illegal $400 professional-grade fireworks \u201ccake\u201d from an unlicensed seller. The fireworks require a permit or license to purchase, possess and use, prosecutors said.<\/p>\n

After setting off fireworks in the street for more than an hour, Decastro allegedly ignited the fireworks cake as a grand finale. Seconds later, it malfunctioned and began firing aerial mortar shells into the driveway where partygoers had gathered to watch, prosecutors said.<\/p>\n

Jasmine was sitting with her family near a covered table holding additional unspent fireworks when the mortar shells struck the area. As guests ran toward the house, the remaining fireworks exploded near the 8-year-old before she could escape, according to prosecutors.<\/p>\n

Read more It can be tough to cite those igniting illegal fireworks in Orange County \u2014 but drones are now on the case<\/a><\/p>\n

Jasmine was rushed to the hospital, where she later was declared dead.<\/p>\n

The charges came less than a week after Jasmine\u2019s mother, Haley Nguyen, said she was not advocating for criminal charges to be filed against Decastro.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not pushing for any charges,\u201d Nguyen said previously. \u201cIt really was an accident.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Nguyen declined to comment Wednesday on the charges.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is nothing accidental about buying and lighting illegal fireworks,\u201d District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement. \u201cActions have consequences, and I would hope that anyone thinking of lighting illegal fireworks this holiday would think of little Jasmine\u2019s face first and choose instead to celebrate safely.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Some ransom notes sent in Nancy Guthrie case still being investigated as legitimate, FBI says<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Earl Decastro, 47, faces involuntary manslaughter and two other felony charges after prosecutors allege he ignited illegal fireworks that malfunctioned, killing 8-year-old Jasmine Nguyen, in 2025.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2039,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19439","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-based-on-facts-either-observed-and-verified-directly-by-the-reporter-or-reported-and-verified-from-knowledgeable-sources","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nBuena Park man charged in Fourth of July fireworks blast that killed 8-year-old girl - Silicon Valley Moving Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=19439\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Buena Park man charged in Fourth of July fireworks blast that killed 8-year-old girl - 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