Southington Man Made Bombs/Fireworks: Police

SOUTHINGTON, CT — A Southington man injured in a fireworks accident last June has now been charged with the illegal manufacturing and sale of fireworks, among other charges.

The Southington Police Department Monday afternoon said Peter Demaria, 49, of Vermont Terrace, Southington, was charged with risk of injury to a minor; first-degree reckless endangerment; sale, use and possession of prohibited fireworks; and manufacture of bombs.

He was charged with those offenses last Friday, Sept. 29, and was released on $25,000 bond. He will appear in New Britain Superior Court Oct. 13.

According to the SPD, police were called to 27 Vermont Terrace on June 23 for a report of a person injured by fireworks.

Police learned that Demaria was "seriously injured" after shooting off a "large-caliber flare device."

This, police said, also caused minor damage to the home after it was hit.

Meanwhile, police said investigators found several residents of the multi-family home, including children, were present.

As they probed the incident, investigators with the SPD and Southington Fire Department found many illegal fireworks and materials used to make fireworks/explosives in a garage beneath the multi-family house.

As a result, the SFD and State Police Fire & Explosive Investigation Unit were called in to "remediate this hazardous situation," police said.

"The investigation resulted in multiple search warrants that revealed Demaria was manufacturing some of the munitions recovered as evidence," police wrote in a statement Monday.

Demaria turned himself in to the police late last week.