Hundreds of Military Explosives Found in Stockton Home, Forcing Evacuations
STOCKTON (CBS Sacramento) -- Investigators will be searching a Stockton home well into the weekend as they work to remove hundreds of military explosives.
Approximately 20 homes in a Stockton neighborhood were evacuated Thursday morning after officers responding to a home for a death investigation and located hundreds of potential explosives, authorities said.
The house is located on the 2900 block of Rockford Avenue. The Stockton police department said officers were initially called out to the residence at around 9:10 a.m. for a death investigation.
Police say the man who lived in the residence died of natural causes. Responding officers said they discovered hundreds of military-type explosives inside the residence and called the bomb squad onto the scene.
Experts from Travis Air Force base were also called to the scene to help identify the explosives and determine how to transport them. It's unclear at this time if there are any live explosives in the home.
Neighbors are shocked that one man could have such an arsenal.
"He was pretty reclusive, we rarely saw him," neighbor Matt Renwick said.
Stockton police said the Red Cross opened an evacuation center for those affected which is located at the Arnold Rue Community Center in the 5700 block of Lorraine Avenue. Police believe the investigation will continue throughout the night and possibly into the weekend, so evacuated families may be displaced for two nights.
A trailer full of supplies arrived Thursday night, providing families with whatever they might need. Frank Pasillas with the American Red Cross said evacuees will have cots to stay on as well as refreshments and warm drinks to help make them comfortable.