Anthrax Hoax at Times Building Disrupts Traffic

The latest in a series of anthrax hoaxes shut down several downtown city blocks Friday after a Los Angeles Times employee received and opened an envelope that contained a threatening letter and a small amount of gray powder.

The material in the letter, police and FBI agents said Friday, was harmless and did not immediately appear to contain any of the biological agent’s spores. Lt. Charles Roper, head of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Tactical Planning Section said the powder will be tested by a county public health laboratory.

Anthrax, a powerfully toxic bacterium that can, at times, resemble a gray powder, can cause respiratory failure and death if left untreated.

“This is the latest in about 35 of these hoaxes in just the past few weeks,” Roper said. Federal authorities have said that the threats do not appear to be the work of any organized group.

After receiving a call about the letter just before 2 p.m., police and county health authorities responded in force and cordoned off the streets surrounding the Times building at 1st and Spring streets.

For more than 90 minutes, employees were not allowed in or out of the building, and traffic on nearby streets was rerouted.

Health authorities have stressed that anthrax contamination cannot be easily spread. If people are exposed, Roper said, they can be given antibiotics and a series of vaccines that prevent any harmful effects.