A bomb scare at the Chula Vista Courthouse Friday morning was declared a false alarm, officials from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department confirmed.
Chula Vista Police Department officials were called to the courthouse located at 500 3rd Avenue at around 8:45 a.m. to investigate what looked like a suspicious device left near the building. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department Bomb Squad was called in to assist shortly thereafter.
Sheriff’s deputies discovered the suspicious backpack on the premises and evacuated a portion of the building while the bomb squad investigated.
Just after 10 a.m., Superior Court public information officer Karen Dalton confirmed that some people who were in the building prior to the discovery of the suspicious package were allowed to stay inside, per instructions from officials. However, Dalton said no other people were allowed to enter the building until the investigation had wrapped.
Bomb technicians used robots to evaluate the suspicious backpack, which officials said had an antenna from a radio protruding from the top.
Ultimately, it was determined that the backpack did not pose a threat.
By 11 a.m., officials said normal operations at the courthouse had resumed. No one was injured in the incident.
