COMPTON, Calif. (KABC) — A hand grenade was removed from a Compton residence after about three blocks of homes were evacuated out of precaution on Saturday afternoon.<\/p>\n
An Eyewitness News viewer alerted ABC7 to the law enforcement activity, which they say began around 3 p.m.<\/p>\n
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said a citizen called and reported finding a hand grenade in a home in the Nickerson Gardens housing development in the 1400 block of Zamora Avenue.<\/p>\n
“Somebody found it, and they called us,” Lt. B. Payes told City News Service.<\/p>\n
The lieutenant said she did not know how the military ordnance came to be inside the home, but the sheriff’s Arson and Explosives detectives were on the scene, working to make sure the area was safe.<\/p>\n
Compton Station Sgt. D. Watson told City News Service just after 7 p.m. that the detectives collected the grenade and took it away. Neighbors were allowed to return home after about four hours.<\/p>\n
Deputies described the grenade to Eyewitness News as a WWII-style device that was determined to be inert.<\/p>\n
Watson says it is not uncommon for people to find old hand grenades, both real and fake, which need to be taken seriously and removed from the home.<\/p>\n
The incident left neighbors on edge.<\/p>\n
“It’s surprising because stuff like that — we’ve got some stuff that happens in the neighborhood, but a grenade? A bomb threat? No. No, I don’t even understand that,” said Eulalia Willis.<\/p>\n