Crime & Safety

Suspected Bomb-Making Materials Prompt Evacuations, Street Closures: Police

The incident led to street closures and building evacuations in Downtown Santa Monica Sunday afternoon, police said.

The person called Santa Monica's dispatch center at around 4 p.m. Sunday to report the discovery of what they believed to be bomb-making materials while they were cleaning a dead relative's home.
The person called Santa Monica's dispatch center at around 4 p.m. Sunday to report the discovery of what they believed to be bomb-making materials while they were cleaning a dead relative's home. (Nicole Charky/Patch)

SANTA MONICA, CA — Several buildings were evacuated and multiple streets were shut down in Downtown Santa Monica Sunday evening in an incident that began when a person found what they believed to be bomb-making materials, according to the Santa Monica Police Department.

The person called the city's dispatch center at around 4 p.m. to report the discovery of what they believed to be bomb-making materials while they were cleaning a dead relative's home. Before making the call, the person put the items in their vehicle and began to drive to the Santa Monica Police Station, police.

Officers responded to the vehicle near 5th Street and Colorado Avenue, "where they confirmed the suspicious items and immediately contacted the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Bomb Squad," police said in a release Monday.

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"As a precaution, nearby buildings were evacuated, and streets were closed while the Bomb Squad rendered the materials safe. There were no injuries or direct threats to public safety," the release continues.

Information related to the incident was provided to the FBI, police said.

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