Updated at 3:45 p.m.
Shortly after 1 p.m. today, the Los Angeles Police Department
bomb squad detonated an explosive device outside the Midvale Plaza
apartment building on the 500 block of Midvale Avenue after
residents said they heard a small explosion earlier in the day.
Authorities on the scene said there were no injuries.
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. Authorities did not give
additional details about the device.
Earlier this morning, several residents of the apartment
building heard a small explosion, but most said they went back to
sleep, and the police were not called until several hours later
when a resident found an explosive device.
A cluster of police cars, FBI vehicles, ambulances, fire trucks
and parking enforcement vehicles restricted access to the block
while the bomb squad inspected and detonated the device remotely.
Though nearby buildings were not evacuated, LAPD officers also
restricted pedestrian traffic near the apartment building until
after the bomb squad had detonated the explosive.
“I was told to just keep everybody clear of the blast
path,” said Sgt. Mims of the LAPD, who directed pedestrians
to remain behind a building at the corner of Midvale Avenue and
Ophir Drive.
Amid the rumble of passing vehicles, a low boom could be heard
for about a one-block radius when the explosive device was
detonated. Several minutes later, the street was reopened and the
small crowd of pedestrians were allowed to pass through the street
and return to their apartments.
While the bomb squad was inspecting the device, several people
could be seen on the balconies of the rooms of the Midvale Plaza
apartment complex overlooking the scene.
About half a block away, a group of about 15 students
nonchalantly chatted and talked on their cell phones while they
waited to go back to their apartments. Otherwise, the streets
remained relatively quiet around the neighborhood.
Yuen Wu, a third-year biology student who lives in the building
where the device was found, said he was walking back to his
apartment but was told to wait for 30 minutes before he could
return.
Olivia Lutz, a third-year psychology student who also lives in
the building, said it was “a little scary,” but she
never felt threatened. She was unsure why an explosive device would
be put in her building.
“You wonder why anyone would want to send a bomb to our
building,” Lutz said.
With reports from Adam Foxman, Bruin staff. For extended
coverage, read the Daily Bruin on Monday.