Crime & Safety
Santa Monica Pier Evacuated Due To Telephoned Bomb Threat
A sweep of the pier led to a suspicious vehicle in a parking lot on the usually busy tourist attraction.
SANTA MONICA, CA – The Santa Monica Pier was evacuated Monday after telephoned bomb threats, police said. The first threat was received about 12:30 p.m. by the Hawthorne Police Department and a second by the Culver City Police Department, according to Santa Monica police.
A sweep of the pier led to a suspicious vehicle in a parking lot on the usually busy tourist attraction – which includes an amusement park, restaurants and other concessions. A sheriff's bomb squad was called in after the pier was evacuated, Santa Monica police Lt. Saul Rodriguez said.
A robotic device was seen checking vehicles in one of the pier parking lots, which were closed along with nearby streets.FBI personnel were also at the scene, Rodriguez said.
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The bomb squad determined the vehicle was not a threat and police announced about 7 p.m. that the pier was reopened.
#BREAKING: Santa Monica Pier evacuated due to possible bomb threat. WATCH LIVE: https://t.co/WZkKeXyZlo
— FOX 11 Los Angeles (@FOXLA) September 11, 2017
Santa Monica Police activity around the Santa Monica Pier. Please evacuate and avoid the entire Pier area and Ocean Ave. #SMAlert pic.twitter.com/Chw6KYA5Bl
— City of Santa Monica (@santamonicacity) September 11, 2017
Find out what's happening in Santa Monicafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
We are on the Santa Monica pier and there is a bomb threat. Cops everywhere evacuating everyone
— Sam and Colby (@SamandColby) September 11, 2017
City News Service and Patch staffer Emily Holland contributed to this post; Image via Shutterstock
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