Possible bomb threat at Whole Foods in Santa Monica

October 9, 8:57 AMLA Independent ExaminerDion Rabouin

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the LA Independent Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Police are investigating a possible explosive device at the corner of 5th and Wilshire in Santa Monica.

According to witnesses, the suspicious package was left outside the Panera Bread near that intersection. Employees of Panera were intially sent to the Whole Foods location across the street, where they remained until that store was also evacuated.

"[The police] just said someone had dropped off a suspicious package at Panera that could possibly be a bomb and everyone should evacuate,” said Yesenia Rodrigues, a Whole Foods employee. “At first, everybody was outside in the parking lot, and they just said stay away from the glass windows, but then I guess they realized it was a lot more serious so they sent everyone over this way.”

Police are not releasing any details about the exact location of the suspected explosive, but all Whole Foods and Panera exployees have been evacuated and are being kept at least 500 yards away from the store.  

The LAPD bomb squad and a Hazardous Materials/Environmental Crimes Unit have been called to investigate the packages. Police have closed off the streets to cars and pedestrians and it is not known when those traffic regulations will be lifted.

One police officer who spoke on the condition of annonymity told me that two "suspicious packages" had been found on the sidewalk and that police are currently investigating their contents.

For now the intersection of Wilshire and Fifth street in Santa Monica remains closed to the public and anyone working in the area is being told to stay away until more information is known.