Posted on 10/10/2005 10:03:38 PM PDT by Dr. Eckleburg
A calm and quiet Westwood was briefly disrupted Friday afternoon when the Los Angeles Police Department bomb squad inspected and detonated an explosive device found within the Midvale Plaza apartment complex on the 500 block of Midvale Avenue. After responding to a call made at 11:13 a.m., the bomb squad arrived at 527 Midvale Ave. to find "an improvised explosive device" in the building's open-air courtyard, said Grace Brady, a spokeswoman for the LAPD.
No injuries were reported, but authorities have been slow to release details about the incident and the device.
Residents said they first heard a small explosion sometime between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. Friday, but most said they went back to sleep. It was not until a resident found an explosive device later that morning that the police were called.
Police cars, FBI vehicles, ambulances, fire trucks and parking-enforcement vehicles blocked access to the street, and police officers restricted nearby pedestrian traffic while the bomb squad inspected the device. About 15 people waited at the corner of Midvale Avenue and Ophir Drive until they were allowed to return to their apartments near where the explosive was found.
Neither the apartment building nor nearby buildings were evacuated, but Paul Robi, a detective with the FBI bomb squad, said the squad executed "a moderate evacuation," which amounted to telling residents to stay off their balconies and in their apartments. Curious onlookers who stepped onto their balconies said they were immediately told to go back into their apartments.
Shortly after 1 p.m., the bomb squad remotely detonated the device. A low boom was audible for about a one-block radius, and several people who live across the street said they felt their apartments shake.
Beau Gillman, a second-year business economics student who lives across the street, said he heard shouts of "fire in the hole" before he heard and felt the explosion.
About five minutes later, police reopened the street to vehicles and pedestrians.
Most of the residents interviewed said they were aware of the situation, but they did not feel afraid or threatened. Most were surprised that someone would put an explosive in a Westwood apartment building.
Several residents said their apartments were briefly searched after the incident, but they said the searches did not appear to specifically target any residents. They also said it appeared to be apartment management who conducted the searches, though Midvale Plaza managers refused to comment.
Nancy Greenstein, director of the UCPD community services division, said UCPD officers were not on the scene Friday, but they routinely investigate suspicious packages. None of the recent calls to the department have revealed actual explosive devices, she said.
Wondering if you've heard anything about this. Please ping anyone you think might be interested.
Ah college.... a bomb goes off at 6 AM ..you go back sleep and call the police when you get up at a decent hour - 11A.M.
Just another depressed student who was planning to commit suicide. It must be something in the air.
UCLA, earlier a university in Georgia, a week ago Saturday OU.
Watch out, it's RamaBOMB. Universities seem to be the target.
Oh no... It's not terrorists.
Nothing to see here, folks. Just go on back to sleep.
ping
But seriously... this is bombs at three colleges in a few days... Media copy cats maybe?
OU, Georgia Tech, UCLA...odd.
Imagine how surprised they would be, were they to learn that someone would try to put an explosive in an Oklahoma football stadium. But I suppose they haven't heard about that, have they?
ping
Someone on another board mentioned another one in Arkansas, but I never heard about it on Drudge.../shrugs
LOL!
This happened in Westwood, which hardly has the slow, quiet atmposphere of the typical college town. Instead, it's dense with people, apartments, shops, and theaters. It's always bustling with activity, at all hours.
Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time, it's enemy action.
Even my 12-year old grandson's Middle School has already had it's first bomb threatof the year.
Earlier today.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1500074/posts
---OU, Georgia Tech, UCLA...odd.---
And we're hearing next to nothing about it...odd indeed.
Thanks Cobra!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1500074/posts
Explosive found at Midvale
The Daily Bruin ^ | 10 Oct 2005 | By Richard Clough
Posted on 10/10/2005 5:13:03 PM EDT by .cnI redruM
An explosive device was detonated by the Los Angeles Police Department bomb squad outside of 527 Midvale Ave. on Friday afternoon.
A calm and quiet Westwood was briefly disrupted Friday afternoon when the Los Angeles Police Department bomb squad inspected and detonated an explosive device found within the Midvale Plaza apartment complex on the 500 block of Midvale Avenue.
(snip)
Thanks. I searched for "UCLA" and "Westwood" and didn't find it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.