Irvine police evacuated a nearby shopping center after officers found what appeared to be a pipe bomb inside a car parked at a gas station on Portola Parkway. The incident unfolded on Sept. 22 at the 3800 block of Portola Parkway in Orange County, according to the Irvine Police Department.
Police said they responded to a report of suspicious circumstances at the gas station and identified two men connected to the call. Both were arrested on drug possession charges, and officers later learned that one of them also had an outstanding warrant.
After taking the two men into custody, officers searched their vehicle and discovered the suspected explosive. Irvine police then requested help from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department bomb squad, which spent about two hours examining the item and carrying out safety procedures before removing it from the scene.
Police evacuated the shopping center as a precaution while the item was being handled. Authorities said the exact nature of the object and whether it was capable of exploding remain under investigation.
Source:CBS LA
