Highway 89 Reopens After Deputies Determine Bomb Threat Was A Hoax
VIKINGSHOLM (CBS13) — Several hours after Highway 89 was shut down near Emerald Bay with reports of a suspicious device, the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department has cleared the scene.
The roadway is back open after deputies determined the suspects did not have explosive devices.
The suspects have been identified as 24-year-old Hobie Gregory and 21-year-old Alana Blakemore. Blakemore was transported to Barton Hospital for drug ingestion and possible overdose, according to South Lake Tahoe police.
Deputies say Reno Police were tracking a vehicle after a tip from the FBI Las Vegas field office that the suspects wanted to harm themselves and others and had explosives they would set off if they were stopped.
The following link offers details from @ElDoradoSheriff about the multi-agency response north of Vikingsholm earlier today. Our office responded to provide assistance and responded with the aw enforcement agencies involved.https://t.co/oI8tiTZY7M
— FBI Sacramento (@FBISacramento) July 27, 2019
California state parks officers located the vehicle and notified the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department. Because of the severity of the threat, South Lake Tahoe police also responded to the scene.
Eventually, the vehicle pulled over to the side of the road off Highway 89, just north of the Vikingsholm parking lot.
Police said the Blakemore was arrested at the scene while Gregory took off running toward the lake.
Deputies say Blakemore said she had a bomb on her. When she was arrested, she dropped a large backpack in the middle of the roadway, prompting the highway closure. After a thorough investigation, deputies determined there were no explosive devices.
Initially, deputies were concerned he also had an explosive device.
According to police, a civilian driver saw a suspicious person, who turned out to be Gregory, hitchhiking near Camp Richardson. The driver reported seeing Gregory get picked up and followed as he was dropped off at a Raley's at the Y.
Gregory was located in the grocery store by officers with the help of store staff. Officers searched the store and did not find an explosive device.
Gregory was booked into the El Dorado County Jail on charges of resisting arrest.
It is still unclear how the pair of suspects are related.
State Parks will be handling the investigation from this point forward.