One child in Sacramento County, California, made a shocking discovery in his backyard: a live military mortar.
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The 8-year-old unearthed the explosive device while digging in his family's backyard. Surprised by his find, he described it as looking "like a bottle of missiles."
When her son showed her the object, his mother said it looked like "it was something weird." She then took a photo and looked it up on Google. That's when she realized what was buried in her yard.
The Mortar Caused a Neighborhood Evacuation
According to the New York Post, local authorities came to the scene on Sunday, April 5, after his mother called 911. She then brought her family inside.
"I did think it was something dangerous, and that's why it scared me about how he was able to dig it out, and pull it out," said the boy's mother, Mirna Bermudez.
The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office identified the device as a live 81-millimeter mortar round. It dates back to 1953 and has a fragmentation radius of about 1,000 feet.
Nearby residents were instructed to evacuate for about four hours while the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team examined the backyard.
"Thank God that there was no kids harmed, and thankfully nothing went off," said neighbor Carson Law to ABC 10. "I am just glad the area is safe and that this was discovered before anything crazy happened."
The Air Force Was Brought In
After confirming the threat, the U.S. Air Force from nearby Beale Air Force Base dispatched its explosive ordnance disposal team to remove and destroy the mortar.
In the aftermath, Bermudez and her family had just moved into the home for only two months. She's now worried about what else could be in her backyard.
"The truth is that right now I am scared that there could be other explosives in the yard," said Bermudez. "They are scared, the kids are scared of exploring in the yard."
