Bomb Found, Detonated at Dunsmore Elementary

For the second time in a month, a live bomb was found in a La Crescenta public school, police reported. The explosive device was found Sunday afternoon by a teacher at Dunsmore Elementary School, according Lt. Don Meredith of the Glendale Police Department.

The device was detonated on a corner of the playground by members of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department arson/explosives detail, Meredith said. No injury or damage was caused by the explosion.

Neither police nor Glendale Unified School District officials would disclose any information about the size, strength or composition of the bomb. “We don’t want to disclose the location for security and safety reasons,” said Meredith. “We can’t disclose the type of device. It would compromise our investigation.”

On March 31, an assistant principal at Rosemont Middle School found a bomb hanging from a classroom doorknob in that school. It was also detonated without incident. The Dunsmore and Rosemont schools are about two miles apart.

Police officials said they have not found evidence that the bombs were placed on the campuses by the same person or persons. “We have no facts to connect the two,” Meredith said.

On Sunday, a Dunsmore teacher who was at the campus--located at 4717 Dunsmore Ave.--to do some work noticed the suspicious-looking item near a classroom about 1:30 p.m., said Vic Pallos, a district spokesman.

About four hours later, the explosive device was “rendered harmless,” he said.

The bomb was placed on the campus sometime after Friday night. Police are pursuing several leads, Meredith said.

District officials said Sunday that although bomb threats have occasionally been made against schools, no bomb had ever been found on the district’s 28 campuses before the Rosemont incident.

In response to the bomb at Dunsmore, the district is increasing security at its campuses, Pallos said.

“There is a heightened level of concern,” Pallos said. “All of the schools are being checked tonight and again in the morning before the students arrive.”

The district’s custodial staff will probably continue to do daily searches of all district campuses until arrests are made, Pallos said.

“We will increase security,” he said, noting that evening and weekend security from a private firm might be added. “We’ll be talking to students, listening to what students have to say.”

Pallos said the district will announce today that a $5,000 reward is being offered for anyone providing information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the Dunsmore school bomb.

School officials were making calls Sunday evening to inform the parents of all 450 Dunsmore students about the discovery of the bomb, he said.