Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Officers Find Mortar Round During Drug Raid
PALMDALE — Narcotics officers found more than they bargained for while searching a Palmdale apartment for drugs.
Besides a small amount of packaged marijuana, Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies discovered a mortar round Wednesday morning in the apartment, in the 38300 block of 11th Street East, Deputy Patrick Hauser said.
Twenty-five people from 16 surrounding apartments were evacuated.
The Explosive Ordnance Disposal Division from Edwards Air Force Base, which was called in to assist in removing the M-83A1 mortar round, determined Thursday that it was a dummy round, said Gary Hatch, base spokesman.
After the search Wednesday, deputies arrested the apartment tenant, Edward Reed, 27, on suspicion of possessing marijuana for sale and possession of a destructive device. Reed is being held at the Antelope Valley Sheriff’s Station in lieu of $500,000 bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned today.
Deputies also arrested Monrovia resident Arnold Alegria, 24, on an outstanding warrant for receiving stolen property.
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