Police say youths on electric bikes set off fireworks at the Hermosa Beach Pier

Teenagers riding electric bikes caused chaos on the Hermosa Beach Pier on Saturday evening, setting off fireworks at unsuspecting crowds strolling through the area.

The teenagers set off fireworks just after 8:30 p.m., and according to emergency services reports, initial calls to police reported loud explosions. The Hermosa Beach Police Department determined that a group of teenagers caused a disturbance by shooting a volley of fireworks at Pier Plaza. A group of teenagers fled the area on electric bikes, KNBC-TV reported. two boys were arrested but later cleared of the charges, the city said in a social media post on Monday.

Authorities said a third juvenile was identified from video footage taken during the incident. The suspect is not a resident of Hermosa Beach, but lives in the South Bay. Authorities are working with the Los Angeles County Juvenile Probation Service and the suspect’s family to ensure there are “appropriate consequences for this dangerous incident,” a city statement said.

The fireworks exploded meters away from witness John Fahmy as he was walking through Pier Plaza on his bicycle. He captured the large explosion on his bike camera and felt shrapnel hit him in the back of the head as he moved away from the blast.

“I saw a little girl running right next to me after the fireworks exploded. My ears were ringing and my heart was beating like crazy,” Fahmy told The Times. “She must have been right next to the firework when it went off because I can’t imagine being closer to the firework than me and not getting hurt.”

Fahmy described the suspects as teenagers between 12 and 16 years old. In total, he heard about four or five loud explosions that evening.

Fahmy said that before he entered the plaza, he saw bright lights illuminating the pier. “I didn’t know it was a firework, I just saw bright colors,” he said. “They were going out near restaurants where people walk and congregate.”

The city recently tightened rules on the use of e-bikes for safety reasons. Under a regulation adopted on June 4, cyclists cannot use electric motors while riding in certain areas, and cyclists under 18 must wear helmets. For underage cyclists who violate the rules, their e-bikes may be confiscated and a parent or guardian may have this done or be prepared to pay any impoundment fees.