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Nonlethal hand grenades and empty rocket-launching tubes were stolen from a locked, fenced-in workshop at a remote end of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, officials said Wednesday.

A large hole was found in the fence Tuesday afternoon, and the workshop had been broken into, base spokesman Major Jason Johnston said.

An inventory showed that all five AT-4 rocket-launching tubes and all 15 sting grenades being stored in the workshop were missing.

Johnston theorized that the burglars weren’t seeking those items, but took “what they thought looked cool.”

There is no reason to believe the thefts are related to terrorism, Johnston said. An investigation by the Marines and Naval Criminal Investigative Service continues.

Investigators believe the break-in occurred over the weekend and that the missing items were likely last seen Thursday or Friday, Johnston said.

The workshop, where explosives are dismantled and the parts stored, is a few miles east of Interstate 15. Johnston said civilians often wander onto the base in that area, so the burglary may not have been an “inside job” by a Marine or a base employee.

The grenades had not yet been emptied of their charges, tiny rubber balls meant to disable rather than kill. All the working components had been removed from the launch tubes, Johnston said.

He said other buildings in the same area have been broken into or vandalized before, but he knew of no previous theft of explosives items.

Anyone who finds the missing items is advised not to touch them, but to call local police immediately, Johnston said.

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