Multiple families in Yucca Valley were evacuated from their homes Sunday afternoon when a Sheriff’s deputy on patrol found unexploded military ordnance on a residential street. Deputy Valerie Meier was on patrol when she discovered the illuminating mortar round in the roadway near the intersection of Navajo Trail and Cherokee Trail about 2:30 p.m. Assisted by Deputy Jonathan Arden, Meier evacuated nearby homes and notified the Sheriff’s Bomb and Arson detail. When the bomb squad arrived, they determined that the giant flare was inert, but for safety reasons, they took it into the desert south of Acoma Trail and blew it up. Anyone with information about the illuminating mortar round should call the Sheriff’s Department at 760-366-4175.
