Hollywood Market Evacuated
A Hollywood area supermarket was evacuated for about three hours Tuesday afternoon before police bomb squad personnel removed a suspicious cloth bag following an extortion threat.
According to Dave Shaw, manager of the Ralph’s market at 4641 Santa Monica Blvd., police were called just before 3 p.m. following a telephone call at the market from a man who demanded $5,000.
Police said the caller wanted the money taken to a nearby hotel by store personnel, but no delivery was made and no suspects were in custody.
Police evacuated a number of shoppers from the store, and removed the bag, which bomb squad experts said did not contain an explosive device. The store was reopened at about 6:30 p.m.
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