SAN DIEGO — A Lakeside man made a startling discovery Sunday when he found an old military explosive in his backyard.

The potentially dangerous artillery shell brought the Sheriff’s Bomb & Arson Unit to the home on Jennings Vista Circle. Chad Arnold said he was clearing weeds when he came across it.

“I was doing some defensible space cleaning in my backyard and I found what appeared to be an artillery shell,” Arnold said.

Arnold recently bought the house and had just moved in. He said he was surprised to find the explosive in his backyard, not knowing how long it had been there.

“Definitely was old,” Arnold said. “It was old and corroded.” 

The Sheriff’s Bomb & Arson Unit removed the item, which they said appeared to be a 120mm artillery shell.

The discovery in Lakeside is the second time in less than a week an artillery shell has been found in the area. On Wednesday, a construction crew unearthed an old military shell at a job site near the Oceanside Transportation Center, prompting a road closure and evacuations in the area.

Officers say if anyone finds an artillery shell in their backyard, do not touch it, move away from the area and call law enforcement.