A bomb squad “rendered safe” a pressure cooker that was mistaken for a possible explosive and left outside a mosque in Granada Hills on Sunday, July 14.
The bomb squad was sent to the Islamic Center of Northridge at 11439 Encino Ave. about 8 p.m. Sunday regarding a suspicious item, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The area was evacuated as a precaution, but investigators later determined that the item was a pressure cooker, and it had had not been modified to explode, said LAPD Sgt. Kevin Cuartas of the Devonshire Division.
The kitchen appliance had contained food that was left out for nearby homeless people, LAPD officer Mike Lopez said. The cooking vessel was not retrieved by its owners after its contents were eaten, and later drew suspicion from people in the area.
“The intentions were good, but we can’t have people leaving items unattended in the street,” Lopez said.
He added that the LAPD intends to issue a statement in the next few days in hopes of encouraging people to make charitable donations directly to an organization’s staff or volunteers, rather than leaving goods unmonitored in public spaces.
No injuries were reported.
— Rachel Brown (@abc7rachel) July 15, 2019
