Charlotte County deputies evacuate Fairway Dr homes after landlord finds dummy grenade on fuse box

Charlotte County deputies and the Lee County Sheriff's Office bomb squad responded to a home along Fairway Drive on Monday after a device resembling a hand grenade was found.

According to the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, a landlord reported discovering a hand grenade on the outdoor fuse box of their property, and deputies responded at approximately 1:30 p.m.

Deputies then began evacuating homes and alerted the nearby East Elementary School to shelter in place. There were no students and very limited staff on campus at the time, CCSO said.

LCSO's bomb squad then responded to the scene.

The sheriff's office said the tenant had no idea of the device being on the fuse box or how long it had been there, except stating that it was not there the week before.

LCSO's bomb squad collected the device and determined that it was a "dummy grenade," and it was painted. According to CCSO, there was no explosive ordinance inside, and neighbors and the staff at the school were informed that the scene had been deemed safe.

CCSO said no arrests have been made in relation to the incident.