A pursuit involving a stolen car took a dangerous turn in California last week when the driver reportedly tossed a live grenade from the vehicle during a police chase.
CHP officers face off with live grenade
California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers attempted to stop a man identified as Carlos Kuceja, 28, of Berkeley, after seeing him behind the wheel a stolen vehicle in Oakland around 3:30 p.m. on Friday.
Kuceja allegedly refused to stop, initiating a low-speed pursuit that led officers through the streets into his hometown, Berkeley.
As the chase continued, Kuceja was seen tossing a bag from the driver’s side window.
A CHP officer, who was not directly involved in the pursuit, later recovered the bag and found what appeared to be a live grenade inside, with its safety pin partially removed.
Authorities quickly responded to the potentially explosive threat. The CHP alerted the Berkeley Police Department, prompting officers to divert traffic and evacuate nearby homes and businesses out of precaution.
The University of California, Berkeley Police Department’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) team was called in to handle the device.
Officials confirmed that the grenade was live and capable of detonation. The CHP shared a photograph of the recovered explosive on social media, highlighting the severity of the situation.
Kuceja continued to flee from law enforcement in the stolen vehicle, until he reached a dead end.
At that point, he exited the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot, though he was quickly apprehended by officers.
Live grenade sparks additional multi-agency searches
The area was secured, and residents in the vicinity were temporarily evacuated while authorities searched the car.
The EOD unit later inspected the allegedly stolen Honda and confirmed there were no additional explosives inside.
Investigators later searched Kuceja’s residence, which he was reportedly occupying illegally.
Authorities evacuated the multi-unit building and shut down the surrounding area in case they discovered any additional explosives.
The search, which involved the CHP, UCPD, and the FBI’s Crisis Response Squad, eventually revealed no further explosive devices at the residence.
Kuceja was taken into custody and transported to the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, where he was charged with multiple felony offenses, including possession and transportation of a destructive device, possession of a stolen vehicle, evading police, and resisting arrest.
Inmate records indicated that Kuceja remained in custody at the Alameda County Jail and has a hearing scheduled for May 14.
Woman drops a bomb during road rage incident
In an unrelated incident, a Pennsylvania driver involved in a road rage situation dropped a different kind of bomb, when she defecated on the hood of another person’s car.
Christina Solometo, who has since been dubbed the “Delco Pooper,” was arrested Thursday after allegedly dropped a retaliatory deuce.
The confrontation reportedly began as a verbal dispute with another motorist who allegedly insulted her.
According to investigators, Solometo admitted that her response stemmed from anger over being called a derogatory name.
“I wanted to punch her in the face,” she reportedly told officers. “But I pooped on her car instead and went home.”
Prospect Park Police Chief Dave Madonna said that he didn’t believe that the other driver was “aggressive” towards Solometo.
“Were there weird exchanges between the two? Yes,” Madonna remarked. “Was the victim taking an aggressive stance towards the defendant? Not at all.”
Solometo allegedly informed police that it was a “clean poop” and claimed that it “didn’t even require toilet paper.”
The incident took place in broad daylight and was captured on video by a witness.
The footage quickly made its way to the internet, where it instantly went viral.
When police arrived at Solometo’s residence to place her under arrest, she allegedly admitted to the disgusting act without hesitation.
Officers noted that she was laughing and smiling during the arrest. While being placed in the patrol car, Solometo reportedly claimed she had been chased before the incident and smiled for her mugshot.
She is now facing several criminal charges, including indecent exposure, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief, harassment, and depositing waste on a highway.
Chief Madonna is embarrassed by the entire ordeal. “No town wants this to happen in their town,” he told NBC10. “The recognition a town gets over this kind of thing – it’s really unwelcome. We don’t want this.”
