'Suspicious' Backpack Prompts Evacuation Of Newport Beach City Hall
NEWPORT BEACH (CBSLA.com) — Newport Beach City Hall was evacuated Monday to allow a sheriff's department bomb squad to investigate a suspicious backpack.
About 200 city employees were evacuated from City Hall, 3300 Newport Blvd. at about 10 a.m. after the backpack was spotted in a breezeway between the City Council chamber and city administrative offices, Newport Beach police spokeswoman Kathy Lowe said.
At about 1:30 p.m. investigators determined the backpack contained someone's personal items.
The backpack was believed to suspicious because it was unattended and left in an area with low foot traffic, Lowe said.
Most employees simply went to lunch at that time and were able to come back to their offices by mid-afternoon, she said.
"Everyone's safe and City Hall services have resumed," Lowe said.
The backpack was being kept at the police department in case its owner wants to claim it.
(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
