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Tourists hit by thrown firework on Las Vegas Strip suffer second-degree burns; suspect arrested

Fireworks July Fourth
Posted at 7:42 PM, Jan 12, 2022
and last updated 2022-01-12 22:50:30-05

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A child was among the tourists who suffered second-degree burns when a firework was thrown from a vehicle on the Las Vegas Strip last week.

19-year-old Jonathan Arriaga was arrested in connection with the Jan. 3 incident.

According to an arrest report obtained by 13 Action News, a lit, mortar-style firework was thrown from a vehicle and into a crowd gathered outside The Mirage during the hotel-casino's volcanic pyrotechnic show.

Two tourists sustained second-degree burns to their legs and faces in a shower of molten sparks from the firework.

"In fact, one subject, a young child, had their COVID surgical mask melt onto their face, causing facial burn injuries," the report states.

Detectives with the Las Vegas Metropolitan police department launched a "massive investigation" to find the perpetrator. Arriaga was identified as a person of interest and "implicated himself in the incident" during police questioning.

He was booked into Clark County Detention Center for two counts of battery with a deadly weapon and one count of throwing a substance at a vehicle resulting in damage.

Arriaga was scheduled to appear in court Thursday,