California troopers discovered a live grenade after retrieving a bag thrown from a stolen car that was fleeing cops.
The discovery prompted the evacuation of nearby homes and required the bomb squad to respond and safely remove the device.
According to a press release, the incident occurred shortly after 3:30 p.m. Friday, when California Highway Patrol troopers spotted a stolen vehicle near 38th Street and Cerrito Avenue in Oakland. They attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver, later identified as 28-year-old Carlos Kuceja, allegedly fled. The pursuit continued into Berkeley.
According to troopers, as Kuceja approached the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Rose Street, he threw a bag from the driver’s side window.
A trooper who was nearby but not involved in the chase stopped to collect the bag.
“Upon looking inside, the officer observed what appeared to be a grenade with the safety pin partially removed,” according to troopers.
The CHP contacted the bomb squad at the nearby University of California, Berkeley, which responded and determined the grenade was “live and capable of detonating.”
Meanwhile, Kuceja allegedly abandoned his car and attempted to flee, but was quickly apprehended. Cops evacuated nearby homes while searching Kuceja’s vehicle for additional explosives. When police discovered none, they allowed residents to return to their homes shortly afterwards.
Kuceja’s Berkeley home was also searched, and surrounding homes were evacuated, but nothing was discovered.
The defendant is now charged with multiple felonies, including possession of a destructive device, vehicle theft, and evading police. As of Monday afternoon, he was still in the Alameda County Jail on a $490,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.