Riverside High-Rise Evacuated

A high-rise state office building in Riverside was evacuated and several surrounding blocks cordoned off by police Tuesday morning after a bomb threat, authorities said. Riverside County Superior Court offices in the California Tower building received a call at 9:52 a.m. from a person who said there might be bomb in the building, said Officer Taylor Cooper, a California Highway Patrol spokesman.

Authorities searched but did not locate an explosive, Cooper said. More than 600 people were evacuated from the tower and surrounding businesses for about four hours.

Several state agencies in the 156,000-square-foot high-rise, including the governor’s regional office, the Board of Equalization and the Franchise Tax Board, were evacuated. A portion of the adjacent Main Street pedestrian mall, including several restaurants, and a stretch of University Avenue, were also shut down.

“We have to take the precautions to keep people safe,” Cooper said.

Two bomb-sniffing dogs swept the 11-story building with the aid of designated “floor wardens” -- office workers who assisted law enforcement in pointing out anything unusual during the search.

By 2 p.m., the building was cleared, employees had returned to their offices and businesses were reopened.

Floor warden Karon Brady said she was “somewhat concerned” about the scare as she and her colleagues milled behind yellow tape across the street from the building.

Brady issues licenses to residential care facilities for the state.

In 2000, Riverside police detonated a suspicious backpack found at the building.

Evacuations can last an hour to 12 hours, depending on the size of the building, said Officer Greg Matthews of the Riverside Police Department.