Bomb Scare Empties Federal Courthouse

The federal courthouse in downtown Los Angeles was evacuated Friday after a man with a Middle Eastern accent telephoned twice warning that there was a bomb in the building.

U.S. Marshal Sam Cicchino said about 1,500 people were asked to leave the building about 12:15 p.m.

One call was made to the clerk’s office at U.S. District Court, the other to the Police Department.

“It was the same thing, the same accent,” the marshal said. He told the clerk: ‘There’s a bomb in your building.’ When he called the police, he said, ‘There’s a bomb at 312 N. Spring St.,’ ” the courthouse address.

“It’s not normal to have an individual call someone else,” Cicchino said of his decision to evacuate. “Whoever this fellow was, he wanted us to know.”

The 17-floor building was reopened at 1:30 p.m. after a police search turned up nothing.