Bomb Squad Evacuates Planned Parenthood In Whittier

WHITTIER, CA —Police evacuated a Planned Parenthood and neighboring businesses in Whittier Friday morning because of suspicious package that turned out to be an empty beer keg.

The neighborhood around Walnut Street and Greenleaf Avenue was closed off, and a sheriff's bomb squad was called to the scene, according to the Whittier Police Department. The beer keg was left in from the of the Planned Parenthood office. Roughly 30 people were evacuated from the area.

At about 9:20 a.m. someone noticed the item on the sidewalk in front of the Planned Parenthood-Whittier Health Center, 7655 Greenleaf Ave., and walked down the street to a fire station to report it, said Officer Hugo Figueroa of the Whittier Police Department. Firefighters then notified police, he said.

``We responded and it appeared to be a suspicious package," Figueroa said. ``We contained the area and evacuated the 7600 block of Greenleaf Avenue - - approximately 30 people -- and waited for a sheriff's bomb squad."

A bomb squad arrived at the scene about 10:35 a.m. and determined the item was harmless, he said. The scene was cleared about noon, Figueroa said.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.