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.
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…