Possible World War II-era rocket found buried near Lake County home
LAKE COUNTY, Ill. (CBS) – The discovery of a possible World War II-era rocket in unincorporated Antioch prompted a bomb squad response and for residents to be evacuated as a precaution on Thursday.
It was in the late morning when Lake County Sheriff's deputies responded to a home in the 25000 block of West 3rd Street for a report of a suspicious item. Investigators found out a homeowner was doing yardwork when she found something with sharp edges sticking out of the ground near a swing. The resident was curious and dug the item out.
The item resembled a World War II-era anti-tank rocket, police said.
"It was very easy to pull out, which is kind of annoying to me," said Lauren Intzekiotis, the resident who found the object. "I was looking for a challenge. I like pulling things out of the dirt, but it was just right there. I took some photos of it and showed my neighbor, showed my dad. My dad's like 'Hey you should call the police and figure out what's going on with that.'"
Police said they don't know how long the object was buried or if it still has the potential to explode.
Waukegan Bomb Squad personnel were at the scene to determine how to dispose of the item safely.
Residents in the immediate area were evacuated until the bomb squad removed the object.
It was later discovered to be a live round. The bomb squad safely detonated the rocket the same afternoon.