Deactivated 'Pineapple' Grenade Found in Palos Hills Man's Front Yard: Police

A disabled grenade that dates back to World War II caused a scare in Palos Hills last month.

Police said a homeowner in the 10100 block of 81st Court found a yellow "pineapple" grenade in his front yard on June 26. The Cook County bomb squad was called to handle the explosive. They determined that the grenade, which was sitting under a tree, was real but had been deactivated.

No one was injured and the explosive device was disposed of by the county bomb squad, police said.

The Mk 2 fragmentation grenade dates back to World War II and saw use in several major American conflicts. The small, handheld device weighed a little more than one pound and was made of grooved cast iron, giving it the appearance of a small pineapple and earning the nickname. Grenades of this type were sometimes filled with TNT instead of powder explosive and painted yellow.

Police said the homeowner thought it was a toy, at first, but then picked it up and realized the grenade was possibly authentic.

Cook County sealed off the area for hours while the bomb squad handled the device, said Palos Hills Deputy Chief James Boie.

Police are not sure where the explosive came from or why it was left under a tree.

Anyone with information can contact the Palos Hills Police Department at 708-598-2992.

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