Police blow open a box left in a Fresno parking lot. Spoiler: It was a false alarm
A large, black box found in the parking lot of a north Fresno business complex caused a slight scare and some dramatic action Saturday.
But after a Fresno police bomb squad unit blew it open with a high-pressure water hose, all that was found inside were wires and switches used for lighting, Lt. Joe Gomez said.
About 6 a.m., Pacific Gas and Electric workers noticed a black “stage box” at 8 Riverpark Place West, near Woodward Park. But it wasn’t until 2 p.m. that officers arrived, Gomez said, after workers realized that the initial sighting had not been passed along to police.
By the time officers arrived, nearby offices had been evacuated.
Just before 6 p.m., bomb squad officers blew a hole in the box. Inside, they were able to see the wires and switches but quickly determined there was no danger.
The moment @FresnoPolice bomb squad unit blows open a suspicious box found in a north Fresno business complex parking lot. Unknown yet what was found inside. Officers have been out here for hours. pic.twitter.com/qctKi3SA1g
— Cresencio Rodriguez-Delgado (@cres_guez) December 24, 2017
It did reveal why X-rays had shown what police feared was “unusual wiring.” PG&E told Gomez that they don’t believe the box belongs to or was destined for the utility.
It’s possible that the box fell out of a vehicle that may have passed through the business complex.
It was considered unlikely, Gomez said, that the box was deliberately left behind to trigger a bomb scare.
Cresencio Rodriguez-Delgado: 559-441-6304, @cres_guez
This story was originally published December 23, 2017 at 7:34 PM with the headline "Police blow open a box left in a Fresno parking lot. Spoiler: It was a false alarm."