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Beverly Center evacuated, mall patrons take to social media

Prada employees wait across the street from the Beverly Center in Los Angeles after the shopping mall was evacuated due to a suspicious package in the attached parking garage.
(Christina House / For the Times)
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The Beverly Center, a popular Westside shopping destination, was evacuated Sunday after a shopper reported a suspicious package to authorities about noon.

The shopper told Los Angeles Police Department officials that the package had been placed in his car without his knowledge. As the evacuation got underway, those at the scene tweeted reports of frightened shoppers fleeing the area, following instructions to get out of the mall on foot and leave their cars behind.

The shopping center, often patronized by celebrities, has been the site of violence in the past. In 2009, an Atlanta-based rapper known as Dolla was fatally shot in the valet waiting area, sending diners in nearby restaurants diving for cover.

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Dolla, a rapper whose real name was Roderick Anthony Burton II, was shot in the head as he and several other people stood near the center’s La Cienega Boulevard entrance, according to police.

Images from Sunday’s scene show police lines and crowds of mall patrons running from the building.

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