Explosives Found At Peninsula Home Deemed Safe: Cops

PALO ALTO, CA — Explosives found in a Palo Alto home Thursday were deemed safe, the Palo Alto Police Department said.

Officers at around 3:10 p.m. responded to the 2300 block of South Court on the report of what appeared to be a World War II-era grenade and artillery shell thought to be live that were found while cleaning out a deceased relative’s belongings, the Palo Alto Police Department said.

The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad responded and safely conducted a controlled detonation of the devices, police said

No one was injured.

Upon discovering the box, the resident carried it outside and set it down carefully in the front yard.

Officers and personnel from the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad responded.

After using their equipment to examine the devices, Bomb Squad personnel determined that at least one of the devices was possibly still live.

The Bomb Squad personnel eventually relocated the devices to an open area at Hoover Park at 2901 Cowper Street. At about 6:51 p.m., the Bomb Squad conducted a single controlled detonation of the devices. No one was injured.

Officers had the roadway and sidewalks of South Court between North California Avenue and Oregon Avenue closed to through traffic for approximately three hours.

Officers asked about 20 people at Hoover Park to leave and closed the park for safety reasons about 15 minutes before conducting the controlled detonation.

The Bomb Squad did not request that any homes be evacuated at either location during the incident.

Personnel from the Palo Alto Fire Department stood by at both locations as a precaution but were not needed.

Palo Alto Utilities Department crews responded to identify nearby gas lines in the area, and Palo Alto Public Works crews supplied sandbags to assist the Bomb Squad with safely containing the controlled detonation.