One of two grenades recovered from a Santa Ana townhome complex is confirmed to have caused the blast that killed three deputies on July 18, but the second grenade is missing despite an extensive search, Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna announced on Friday.
The day before the blast, Arson and Explosives detectives took two grenades — believed to be inert at the time — from a storage area in a townhome complex on the 800 block of Bay Street in Santa Monica. The explosives were brought back to the Biscailuz Training Center in East Los Angeles to be disposed of.
“One of the grenades is unaccounted for at this time,” Luna said at a Friday evening news conference. “We have looked at everything out there that we possibly could.”
That involved multiple searches, including using drones and bucket trucks to search trees, officials said.
Luna said public access near the vicinity of the facility has been limited.
Details of what led to the July 18 explosion were still limited on Friday afternoon, pending further investigation.
“We simply don’t have all the answers at this point,” Luna said.
The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has taken over the search and investigation, Luna said.
Though the grenade hasn’t been located, Luna said investigators do not believe the grenade was dropped en route from Santa Monica to the training center.
As a result of the blast, Luna says the department is implementing policy changes.
“All future explosive devices will be treated as if they’re all live,” Luna said. “For God’s sake, I never want this to happen again.”
The three bomb squad detectives had more than 70 years of combined experience with the sheriff’s department.
Funeral services are pending.
Luna and Kenny Cooper, special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Los Angeles office, urged anyone in the public who may spot what appears to be the device to avoid touching it and call 911.