VALLEJO (MNG ) — Several mobile homes were evacuated and an explosive device safely detonated Wednesday morning after law enforcement officials found the item while executing a search warrant at Vallejo”s Newell Mobile Home Park.
A man inside the residence at the time was detained.
“The Napa County Sheriff”s Department was executing a search warrant for stolen property when we came across a grenade,” Solano County Sheriff”s Department spokesman Sgt. Eric Bradford said. “We didn”t know if it was live, but it looked live enough to us so that, out of an abundance of caution, we evacuated 10 or 12 trailers in each direction and called in the Napa County bomb squad.”
The warrant was served at about 9 a.m. Wednesday, Bradford said, adding the grenade appeared to be old and still had its pin intact.
Napa County Sheriff”s Office spokeswoman Capt. Tracey Stuart said the original action was part of several warrants served Wednesday in connection with a crime committed in Napa County last month.
“The Napa County Sheriff”s Office, along with several other agencies, are serving eight warrants – five in Vallejo, two in Benicia and one in Walnut Creek – which all originated from a vehicle burglary and attempted auto theft near Lake Berryessa (on) July 7,” Stuart said. “Information developed through that investigation led to numerous suspects for burglary and other crimes.”
Residents of the park, off Fairgrounds Drive near Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, voiced different reactions.
“I”m not sure what happened, but SWAT and police raided a home and told us they found an explosive device,” neighbor Dan Ribeiro said, adding he was not made nervous by the incident.
Another park neighbor who would only identify himself as Myron, said he doesn”t “rattle that easily,” either.
“I”m just curious,” Myron said. “I looked out and saw the SWAT people and thought I”d take a look.”
Alma Ramirez, who also lives in the park, said all the commotion made her nervous.
“I saw all the police go in and break the window and take someone away,” said Ramirez, who said there has rarely been any serious trouble in the six months she”s lived in the park.
“It scared the hell out of me,” countered eight-year park resident Paula Culbertson. “The big boom from the concussion grenade woke me up.”
Culbertson agreed the park is usually quiet and called Wednesday”s episode “a crazy thing.” She said the man who was handcuffed and seated in a chair in front of the mobile home upon which the warrant was served, has “lived here forever.”
“He keeps his place closed up, tight and has a sign that says, ”don”t worry about the dog, beware of the gun,”” Culbertson said.
Police declined to release the man”s name saying he is not even yet accused of anything.
