‘Good Samaritan’ brings bomb to LAPD, prompting station evacuation

The Los Angeles Police Department issued a statement Friday that began simply: “Harbor Station had an eventful day yesterday.”

At about 4:30 p.m. Thursday, authorities said a man walked into the station and said he had a bomb in his truck that he wanted to turn over to authorities.

“He says he found it and wanted to be a good Samaritan,” said Sgt. Jerry Davila. “I don’t know where he found it, but like I said, he was trying to be a good Samaritan with it.”

The station was temporarily evacuated and the parking lot shut down for a couple of hours while a bomb squad investigated what the man had brought.

“It turned out to be an active military mortar round,” according to the statement. Davila said that it was one of the larger military rounds and that the bomb squad contacted the Marine Corps, who picked it up without incident.

Last weekend, the entrance of the Crescenta Valley sheriff’s station was closed for about an hour after an 84-year-old World War II veteran walked in holding a paper bag with what he described as a training grenade inside.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said the veteran walked into the station at about 6:10 p.m. and told authorities he wanted to discard the item.

After closing down the parking lot and entrance to the lobby, a bomb squad rendered the grenade safe and normal operations resumed. Investigators believe the grenade was a World War II practice grenade called an MK-II.

At the end of its statement, the LAPD’s Harbor Division issued this plea: “Please, if you come across an explosive do not drive around with it or pick it up. Contact the authorities immediately so the proper protocols can be taken.”

Twitter: @aribloomekatz | Facebook

ari.bloomekatz@latimes.com