A woman donated a hand grenade to Goodwill, police say

An Orange County, Calif., Goodwill store received a donation that brought out the bomb squad.

Placentia Goodwill employees opened a box of donated items from a senior woman on Wednesday and found a hand grenade, according to the Placentia Police Department.

The police were notified and authorities evacuated nearby businesses in the shopping center, the department reported.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Bomb Squad, Orange County Fire Authority and ambulances were called in, police said.

“Officers spoke with the Goodwill employees, who stated that an elderly female dropped off a box of donations and left,” the Police Department said. “When the employees began going through the box a short time later, they discovered the grenade and called the police.”

The Bomb Squad was able to remove the grenade safely, police reported. The area was declared safe about two hours after the call, according to the Los Angeles Times.

This story was originally published December 1, 2017 at 11:31 AM with the headline "A woman donated a hand grenade to Goodwill, police say."