SAN FRANCISCO, CA — “San Francisco police officers on Thursday seized hundreds of illegal fireworks, including various rockets and barrel bombs, inside a stolen U-Haul van that was driving through the city, Interim Chief Paul Yep announced on Friday.
Officers identified and began tracking the van around 6 p.m. with assistance from the Real-Time Investigation Center, allowing officers to safely stop the vehicle in the Bayview District and apprehend the driver.
The enforcement took hundreds of dangerous fireworks off the street ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, when San Francisco public safety officials increased resources to respond to numerous illegal fireworks cases.
The van’s driver, 38-year-old Joe Jenkins of San Francisco was transported to San Francisco County Jail and booked on the charges of driving or taking a vehicle without consent (10851(a) CVC), receiving a stolen vehicle (496d(a) PC), possession of a large number of fireworks (12700(b)(3) PC), illegal possession of explosives (12305 HS), and 26 counts of illegal possession of explosives (12305 HS)…