'Dummy grenade' found in stolen car in Hilltop

The item that caused a bomb scare in Wilmington's Hilltop neighborhood Monday night was a dummy grenade — an inert replica of the hand-tossed explosive. 

Wilmington police said they dispatched to the 1500 block of W. Seventh Street around 6:30 p.m. in reference to the recovery of several vehicles that had been reported stolen to Wilmington, Elsmere and Newport police departments.

Police reached the owner of one of the vehicles, which was reported stolen to the Elsmere Police Department, and she came to collect the Jeep, police said.

She inspected the vehicle and found a bag in the trunk that didn't belong to her. The dummy grenade was inside the bag, police said. 

Police shut down the 1500 block of W. Seventh Street and the Wilmington Police Department Bomb Unit responded, but deemed the grenade inactive and safe, according to police.

No other devices were found. The other cars were returned to their owners, police said.

Area residents were allowed to return to their homes around 9:30 p.m.

"It was a pain ... I was nervous for my kids," said Rene Stevens, who lives on the block. “I was definitely a little scared. This is a quiet block."