Left: Grenade discovered by police in Berkeley, California (California Highway Patrol). Right: Carlos Kuceja taken into custody (KTVU/YouTube).
California troopers who retrieved a bag thrown from a stolen car that was fleeing cops made a surprising — and potentially explosive — discovery: a live grenade.
The revelation caused the evacuation of nearby homes and required the bomb squad to come out and safely remove the device.
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According to a press release, the incident unfolded just after 3:30 p.m. Friday when troopers with the California Highway Patrol spotted a stolen vehicle near 38th Street and Cerrito Avenue in Oakland. They tried to pull the vehicle over, but the driver — later identified as 28-year-old Carlos Kuceja — allegedly fled. The pursuit continued into the city of Berkeley. Troopers say that as Kuceja approached the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Rose Street, he threw out a bag from the driver’s side window.
A trooper who was in the area 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,” troopers said.
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CHP notified the bomb squad from the nearby University of California, Berkeley, which responded and determined the grenade was “live and capable of detonating.”
Meanwhile, Kuceja allegedly ditched his car and started to run away but was quickly taken into custody. Cops evacuated nearby homes as they searched Kuceja’s vehicle for more explosives. Finding none, police allowed residents to return to their homes shortly thereafter.
Kuceja’s Berkeley home also was searched and nearby homes were evacuated but nothing was found.
The defendant now stands accused of several felonies, including possession of a destructive device, vehicle theft and evading police. As of Monday afternoon he remained at the Alameda County Jail on a $490,000 bond. He’s scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
