Overview
- Del Norte County deputies working with the Yolo County District Attorney’s Criminal Investigation Bureau served a Dec. 12 search warrant on Calaveras Street in Crescent City and arrested Ronald Botelho III.
- Botelho faces felony counts including possession of destructive devices, reckless possession of explosives near a residence and child endangerment, alongside misdemeanors tied to explosives, more than 100 pounds of illegal fireworks and firearm violations.
- Investigators say photos from the scene showed boxes of fireworks next to gas canisters and a propane tank, and the Humboldt County bomb unit destroyed some recovered devices.
- Bail for Botelho was set at $500,000, and officials have not explained how this arrest is connected to the Esparto warehouse explosions that killed seven people.
- The cause of the July 1 blast remains undetermined as regulators press reforms after revoking two companies’ licenses, with prior raids spanning San Francisco, Los Angeles and other parts of California and policy recommendations expected in early 2026.