ANAHEIM : Grenade Found in Telephone Booth

A World War II-era hand grenade found in a black leather pouch in a phone booth at 2801 W. Ball Road Monday morning was taken apart by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department bomb squad and declared harmless, police said.

“The powder had been dumped out of it,” said Sgt. Thomas Lahmon of the Anaheim Police Department.

Police cordoned off the area near the Pear Tree Center for about two hours after a Palmdale man reported finding the grenade, Lahmon said, adding that a small amount of marijuana, a pager and a stopwatch were also found in the pouch with the grenade.

James Goodell, 27, said he was on his way to Disneyland and had stopped at the phone booth at the center to call and ask directions when he found the bag.