Explosive found in bathroom at Ceres ball fields during softball tournament
An improvised explosive device found in a bathroom at the George Costa Ball Field Complex in Smyrna Park was safely disposed of Saturday afternoon, according to Ceres police.
Officers responding to the report ensured the area was evacuated and a perimeter was cordoned off for the safety of the public, the Police Department said in a news release Sunday afternoon.
Ceres Police Department spokesman Sgt. Keith Griebel told The Bee on Monday morning that the device had been moved before officers arrived, so he did not know if it had been hidden or left in plain sight.
The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department explosive ordnance team responded, confirmed the apparent IED was real, rendered it safe and disposed of it, Griebel said.
In Facebook comments, area residents said a softball tournament was being held when the explosive was found. The area was evacuated and the remainder of the day’s games were canceled, commenters said.
Asked if the device had a detonation mechanism and, if so, it had been set to go off at some point, Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Luke Schwartz told The Bee on Monday that those details are not being released at this point.
The Ceres Police Department is conducting the investigation. Anyone with information on the incident is urged to call Sgt. Trenton Johnson at 209-538-5672 or Stanislaus Area Crime Stoppers at 209-521-4636.
Callers to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward. Tips also can be submitted via www.stancrimetips.org.
This story was originally published March 6, 2022 at 11:18 AM.
