PICO RIVERA — A sheriff’s bomb squad investigated the discovery of an artillery shell at a Pico Rivera home Wednesday, but ultimately found the device to be inert, authorities said.
The incident was first reported shortly after 5 p.m. at a home in the 8200 block of Lowman Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Sgt. Jacqueline Sanchez said.
Dan Gonzalez, who owns Pacific Home Tech, was helping the property owner with maintenance when he said he noticed the unexploded munition in a backyard garden, previously covered by weeds. The renters, who were fairly new residents, did not know what the device was or where it came from.
He described it as rusted, about 5 inches in diameter and 22 inches long.
Gonzales called sheriff’s deputies, who in turn summoned the Sheriff’s Arson-Explosives Unit to investigate, Sgt. Robert Jones said. After about an hour, the bomb squad determined the shell contained no explosives and sounded the all-clear.
Deputies suspected the shell may have belonged to a former military veteran who lived in the home before the current residents, Jones said.

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