Investigators exploring whether grenades found at apartment caused blast that killed 3 LA deputies

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Authorities are looking into whether grenades recovered from a Santa Monica flat analyzable caused an detonation past week astatine a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department grooming installation that killed 3 members of its arson and explosives unit.

Investigators served a hunt warrant Monday greeting astatine an code successful the Marina del Rey neighborhood. The section didn't accidental what, if anything, was recovered arsenic detectives pursuit leads pursuing the deadly blast aboriginal Friday astatine the Biscailuz Training Facility.

Officials said they are exploring whether determination whitethorn beryllium a transportation to the find connected Thursday of grenades astatine an flat analyzable successful Santa Monica, a fewer miles (kilometers) northbound of Marina del Rey. The 3 members of the arson and explosives squad responded that time to assistance section police.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said the deaths marked the department’s worst nonaccomplishment of beingness successful a azygous incidental since 1857, erstwhile 4 officers were killed by gunfire.

Those killed Friday were identified by the section arsenic Detective Joshua Kelley-Eklund, Detective Victor Lemus and Detective William Osborn. They served 19, 22 and 33 years successful the section respectively, Luna said.

Luna said Friday that it took much than 4 hours to render the country harmless and the deaths were being investigated by the department’s homicide detectives, with the assistance of the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. No 1 other was injured, helium said.

The sheriff said the arson and explosives squad undergoes in-depth grooming and responds to much than 1,000 calls a year.