– By F. Scott Faulkner
SANTA MARIA, CA — July 6, 2025 – Police arrested a local man on the evening of July 3, 2025 after he was caught allegedly
attempting to sell a massive stash of illegal fireworks.
According to Santa Maria Police Department spokesman Lt. Andy Magallon, undercover
detectives had been “actively investigating illegal fireworks sales” in the days leading up to the
Fourth of July.
During the July 3 operation, officers identified “a potential suspect” and arranged to meet him.
Shortly afterward, officers spotted a vehicle cruising through downtown Santa Maria and
conducted a traffic stop.
Behind the wheel was 27-year-old Alexis Uriel Flores Sanchez, a Santa Maria resident. Several
large boxes of suspected illegal fireworks were “in plain view” inside the vehicle.
Further investigation into Sanchez’s activities lead to the discovery of “a loaded firearm
concealed in his front waistband.”
The Santa Maria Fire Department’s arson unit responded to
the scene and confirmed the contents of the vehicle were illegal fireworks weighing more than
100 pounds.
Flores Sanchez was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail on multiple felony charges, including
possession of illegal fireworks and weapons violations.
Flores Sanchez remains in custody with his bail set at $50,000.
