World War II-era explosives found in Petaluma home

An explosive ordnance disposal specialist from Travis Air Force Base successfully removed three live, World War II-era Japanese grenades and one artillery round discovered Saturday at a residence in Petaluma.

Deemed “highly explosive” by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, the weapons were disposed of safely.

The incident began with a call to the Petaluma Police Department, from a resident who had discovered the ordnance in the home of a deceased family member. The cache included six other forms of munitions.

When Petaluma police officers arrived to the home, they noticed the munitions were not drilled, and still contained pins preventing them from discharging. Petaluma Police contacted the county bomb squad. Due to the type and volatility of the ordnance, the bomb squad in turn contacted the air base.

It is unknown why the family member had the vintage explosives. No correlation exists between their possession and the cause of death.