A startling discovery in Valley Glen led to evacuations on Wednesday after a woman found 20 sticks of dynamite in her garage freezer.
According to KTLA, the Los Angeles Police Department responded to the 6100 block of Rhodes Avenue around 9 a.m. after the homeowner reported the explosive find.
The woman, who was cleaning the freezer, told police she had no idea how the dynamite got there. She and her late husband, who passed away several years ago, had purchased the refrigerator when they bought their home. Bomb experts confirmed the dynamite was active, prompting evacuations within a 500-foot radius.
Captain Warner Castillo from the LAPD’s North Hollywood Division said the dynamite, estimated to weigh between 10 and 15 pounds, was soaked in diesel to render it safe and removed in a containment vessel. Castillo noted that no fuses or blasting caps were found nearby, and the dynamite’s wet condition might have been due to the thawing freezer.
The incident is not being treated as a criminal matter, and police consider the explosives “lost/found property.” They are investigating the origin of the dynamite, which is believed to have belonged to the woman’s late husband, who may have used it for road-clearing work.
ABC7 reported that the dynamite could have caused significant damage if detonated, with potential for hearing loss, vehicle alarms, and structural damage. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and the neighborhood streets were closed during the investigation.
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