WILDOMAR (CNS) - Riverside County sheriff's investigators today were trying to determine how a pipe bomb ended up on a trail in Wildomar, where a school was locked down while technicians destroyed the device.
The explosive was located about 9 a.m. Thursday on a walking path in the 32000 block of Wildomar Trail, near Palomar Street, according to sheriff's officials.
They said a pedestrian spotted the metal-encased device and called 911.
Deputies arrived within minutes and secured the area for bomb squad personnel. Nearby Wildomar Elementary School was placed on lockdown, and the immediate area was cordoned off and cleared of vehicles and pedestrians as a safety precaution, according to the sheriff's department.
"The metal on the device appeared weathered, and it more than likely had been discarded at the location some time ago," according to an agency statement.
Bomb squad technicians confirmed the device contained explosive materials and disposed of it on the spot. The lockdown was lifted immediately afterward.
No suspects have been identified in connection with the device, and investigators have no clue why it was dropped there, or when.
Anyone with information was asked to contact the sheriff's Lake Elsinore station at 951-245-3300.