Fourth of July fireworks incident causes $100K in damages in Cobb County

Man arrested after fireworks damage multiple cars

A man was arrested on numerous charges after shooting off fireworks in an apartment complex and causing a lot of damage.

COBB COUNTY, Ga. - A Fourth of July fireworks incident at a Cobb County apartment complex left a trail of destruction, including a destroyed Corvette and damages estimated near $100,000. A 32-year-old man is now facing arson and other charges.

What we know:

Cobb County Police arrested Anye Nde early Thursday morning after officers say he ignited fireworks in the parking lot of The Halsten at Vinings Mountain apartment complex, causing fire damage to multiple vehicles and part of a building.

The incident occurred in the early hours of July 4. 

Police say the fireworks were launched dangerously close to buildings, parked cars, and residents. A portion of a porch was also burned in the fire.

When officers arrived on the scene, they noticed a man attempting to leave the complex in a hurry. A search of his vehicle turned up fireworks that matched those used in the incident, and police say they also found additional fireworks on his person, along with approximately a pound of marijuana.

Nde was arrested and booked into the Cobb County Jail. He faces multiple charges, including arson.

What they're saying:

One resident, Eric Warbington, said he was awakened by the commotion.

"I heard kids yelling and an ambulance and officers and saw a bunch of lights, it was like a movie to me," Warbington said.

By the time the fire was extinguished, Warbington said he found all three of his vehicles damaged — including his prized Corvette, a red Mercedes with melted exterior parts, and his Ford F-150, which he uses for his mobile car wash business, GFT Mobile Car Wash.

"I missed 2 or $3,000 in the last couple of days. So that's more frustrating than anything," he said.

"During a search we actually found fireworks on his person as well. Not only that, but he had about a pound of marijuana with him," said Cobb County Police Officer Aaron Wilson.

Warbington said he's grateful no one was injured.

"I'm happy he got caught, because that was just pure reckless behavior. I thank God that it didn't actually hit the apartment complex, you know what I mean, and hurt and burn anything else and happy nobody got hurt," he said.

What you can do:

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Warbington recover from the loss of his work truck. Donations can be made at https://gofund.me/a500dd77.