Los Angeles Police Department officials said Tuesday that two
juvenile suspects are being sought in connection with the incident
involving an explosive device found Oct. 7 on the 500 block of
Midvale Avenue.
Officials also said police consider the suspects to pose no
threat and their actions as tantamount to “some kids playing
around,” said Sgt. Katherine Plows of the LAPD.
Authorities would not say whether the suspects are believed to
be UCLA students or if they have any UCLA ties.
Responding to a call made at 11:13 a.m. Friday, authorities
arrived at 527 Midvale Ave. to find an improvised explosive device
made from two M-80 fireworks taped together, Plows said.
One of the fireworks was detonated but the other was a dud, she
said. M-80s are illegal in the United States.
Though several residents said they heard a small explosion
sometime between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. that morning, the police were
not called until a resident found the device several hours later in
the open-air courtyard within the Midvale Plaza apartment
complex.
The LAPD bomb squad inspected and detonated the device shortly
after 1 p.m. Friday.
While the bomb squad was working, a portion of Midvale Avenue
around the building was closed to vehicular and pedestrian access,
but no buildings were evacuated.
Residents of nearby buildings said they were aware of the
incident taking place, but most said they did not feel afraid or
threatened.
Authorities were not available to give updates on the case over
the weekend or on Monday due to the Columbus Day holiday. Early
reports from the LAPD on Tuesday indicated that two suspects may
have been taken into custody, but those reports were later
refuted.
Though FBI vehicles were on the scene, Laura Eimiller, a
spokeswoman for the FBI, said the FBI was not involved with any
investigation into the incident.