Beverly Center Evacuated After Bomb Scare

Shoppers flooded the streets around the Beverly Center mall Sunday after a bomb-scare.

They were evacuated at about 1:30 p.m. after police received a call about a possible suspicious package in a car parked in the mall.

Police finally blew up the suitcase around 4:30 p.m..

Businesses in the area, including Cedar Sinai Medical Center, were put on alert just before the detonation.

It reportedly released an acrid smell into the air nearby, but no explosives were found.

An early report from City News Service said a motorist told police that someone had placed a suspicious package in the back of his car.

But the Los Angeles Times reported the man's car had been moved within the parking structure and his briefcase moved, causing him to fear for his safety.

The Beverly Center sits outside Beverly Hills at the West Hollywood border, and is a popular shopping spot on weekends.

See also:

Beverly center bomb-scare evacuation "chaotic, crazy"  (LA Times)