Authorities said Sunday that a suspicious device found near the House of Israel in San Diego was suspected to be a “hoax device.”
San Diego police received a call around 9:20 a.m. Saturday about a suspicious package at the rear of the building in Balboa Park, prompting officers to call in additional resources, including a bomb squad.
After further investigation and evacuating the people in the area, it was determined that the package was a hoax. According to authorities, it posed no danger to the public.
However, police said in a press release: “While this was not an actual destructive device, any hoax device placed specifically in a location to cause fear is a crime and is taken very seriously.”
Police said their investigation was ongoing and indicated that officers will conduct additional patrols in the area and at mosques and synagogues in the city for at least a week.
Anyone with information was asked to call the Metro Arson Strike Team at 619-236-6815 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
