By admin 
Personnel from Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield took custody of an old mortar shell found in the backyard shed of a north Modesto home Tuesday morning, the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office reported Wednesday.
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The Sheriff’s Office bomb squad was called to the Rexford Court home to dispose of the potentially explosive device, but determined it was inert, Sgt. Michael Carranza said in an email. “At this time, no criminal charges are being pursued in this matter,” he wrote in a response to a Bee query on the legality of possessing the shell.
The bomb squad response came after a Modesto Fire Department engine crew was dispatched at about 10:45 a.m. to a report of a possible gas leak outside a residence on Rexford Court near Coffee-Claratina Park.
The crew determined the smell was coming from a backyard shed, according to an MFD incident summary, and a hazmat response was requested.
In the shed, a hazmat inspector found “a bunch of household chemicals as well as an old military-grade mortar” shell, the incident summary says.
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Modesto police officers and the bomb squad then were called to the scene to secure the area until the threat could be eliminated.
Markings on the device indicate it’s a 1975 60mm shell. The legality of possessing such an item depends on factors including its caliber and whether it is inert, according to articles on the websites of various law firms.
This story was originally published October 14, 2026 at 12:41 PM with the headline “Update: Air Force takes mortar found in shed of Modesto home, Sheriff’s Office reports.”
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