Crime & Safety
Live Grenade Tossed From Stolen Car During Bay Area Pursuit: CHP
The CHP called for assistance from the Berkeley Police Department and homes and businesses in the area were cleared.
BERKELEY, CA — A traffic stop on a reportedly stolen vehicle led to a pursuit and a live grenade being tossed from the car, the California Highway Patrol said Sunday.
Just after 3:30 p.m. on Friday, CHP officers observed an allegedly stolen vehicle near 38th Street and Cerrito Avenue in Oakland.
When the officers attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver fled, and a pursuit ensued through Oakland and into the city of Berkeley.
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As the pursuit approached the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Rose Street in Berkeley, the driver was allegedly seen throwing a bag from the driver's window. A CHP officer who was nearby but not involved in the pursuit stopped and checked the bag. Inside it was what appeared to be a grenade with the safety pin partially removed, according to CHP.
CHP called for assistance from the Berkeley Police Department and homes and businesses in the area were cleared.
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The University of California, Berkeley Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) team responded and secured the grenade, CHP said. The grenade was examined and determined to be live and capable of detonating.
After allegedly throwing the grenade from his vehicle, the driver continued fleeing from officers until he turned onto a dead-end street where he parked. Pursuing officers located the suspect as he attempted to abandon the vehicle and escape on foot.
Arrested was Carlos Kuceja, 28, of Berkeley.
Police evacuated the area near Kuceja's vehicle and a bomb squad investigated and determined that there were no more explosives in his car, CHP said.
Investigators learned that Kuceja was residing in a multi-unit home on California Street in Berkeley. Due to the possibility that Kuceja possessed additional explosives, officers obtained a search warrant for the residence, CHP said. Other residents in the building were evacuated, and California Street was closed in front of the residence until the search was completed.
At approximately 9:30 p.m., CHP officers were joined by the FBI as well as the UC Berkeley EOD Team, who searched the home and determined that no additional explosives were present. The house was cleared, and residents were allowed to return to their units at approximately 10:30 p.m.
After his arrest, Kuceja was taken to Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, where he was booked on suspicion of felony possession and transportation of a destructive device, possession of a stolen vehicle, fleeing from police, and resisting arrest.
By Katy St. Clair / Bay City News
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