KAHULUI, Hawaii (AP) - A Maui man cleaning out the belongings of his recently deceased father Tuesday found a grenade and a mortar shell, prompting the evacuation of a nearby county office as a precaution, officials said.
Maui County spokesman Rod Antone said the man called police Tuesday to report what he found and said he was on his way to bring the items to authorities. A dispatcher told the man to stop and stay with the explosives while officers were sent to him, Antone said.
“He was trying to do the right thing,” Antone said. “It’s not every day you come across these items.”
The man happened to be near the Maui Mall, prompting county officials to evacuate the Maui County Service Center, an office that handles property tax payments, driver’s licenses and other transactions. Antone said about 150 people were evacuated.
Mall spokeswoman Autumn Wigley said the rest of the mall remained open during the incident.
Antone said an Army explosive ordnance unit was flying to Maui from Oahu to detonate the items, if necessary, and transport them.
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