Stolen Toyota Sienna Recovered With A 60MM Mortar Inside

Something strange is going on in California after a second stolen vehicle, this time a Toyota Sienna, was recovered and a military explosive device was involved. We already covered the story out of Berkeley where a guy threw a live grenade from a stolen car as he was fleeing from police.

Woman allegedly purchased insurance coverage minutes after getting in a crash.

This story happened in late April somewhere in the Sacramento area. After California Highway Patrol officers located and recovered a stolen older Toyota Sienna, they got the surprise of their lives when they found a 60 mm mortar just sitting inside.

A photo of the mortar shows is sitting on a pile of junk, so we wonder if officers came across it after sifting through all the stuff in the minivan or if it was just sitting on top of everything. Either way, that would be a shocking, concerning thing to find.

Not only was the military explosive just sitting there, it had been modified, potentially making it more volatile. Why car thieves would be leaving such a thing behind, let alone have one in the first place, isn’t clear.

It took the CHP Bomb Squad responding to the scene along with the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team from Beale Air Force Base to get the mortar secured and neutralized. If that sounds serious, it is.

We would imagine the investigation into the stolen Toyota Sienna will also include looking into how the mortar ended up in civilian hands, let alone modified, then abandoned in the minivan. We have no idea just how volatile the explosive was, but this sort of thing could have ended badly for some innocent person.

Just what is going on in California these days with car thieves and military explosive devices?

Image via California Highway Patrol/Facebook