About three blocks of Compton homes were evacuated Saturday after someone reported finding a hand grenade inside a residence in the Nickerson Gardens housing development.
The discovery was reported at 2:44 p.m. Saturday in the 1400 block of Zamora Avenue, Lt. B. Payes of the Compton Sheriff’s Station told City News Service.
“Somebody found it and they called us,” Peyes said.
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.
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.
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. It was unclear whether this particular grenade was real.