A Taco Bell in Florida was forced to evacuate after a man visited the restaurant with a World War II hand grenade he found while fishing.
Police in Ocala, Fla., received a call Saturday from someone who said they had found a grenade while magnet fishing and drove it to a Taco Bell.
A Florida man found a grenade while fishing and then took the explosive to Taco Bell https://t.co/yixla4O1Zp pic.twitter.com/9UCxGJrkui
— CNN (@CNN) January 28, 2019
A couple, both 35 years old, had the grenade inside a five-gallon bucket with other scrap inside the trunk of their car, reports the Ocala Star-Banner. The woman, who police didn’t identify, had called 911 to report that she and her boyfriend had found the device while looking for precious metal in a nearby river.
A bomb squad was called to make sure everyone was safe, said the Ocala Police Department. Police later confirmed it was a non-functional WWII-era hand grenade.
Taco Bell on E. Silver Springs Blvd. has been evacuated. A man found a hand grenade while magnet fishing in Ocklawaha, put it in his trunk, and drove to Taco Bell prior to calling 911. MCSO bomb squad is currently on scene to ensure everyone’s safety. pic.twitter.com/sgGmXDkAXB
— Ocala Police Dept (@ocalapd) January 26, 2019
According to the Star-Banner, the bomb squad learned the firing pin mechanism on the grenade did not appear to function. They secured the device for destruction off-site, said the report. No injuries were reported and the restaurant re-opened a short time later.
Magnet fishing is a hobby where people use magnets to pull metal objects out from bodies of water.
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