Bomb threat evacuates Washington Middle School

Pasadena police and education officials evacuated Washington Middle School on Wednesday afternoon in response to a threat that a bomb had been hidden on the Northwest Pasadena campus.

Police received an anonymous telephone call at 1:58 p.m. in which the caller stated that an explosive device was placed at the school and would explode at 2:45 p.m., Lt. Phlunte Riddle said.

No explosion had occurred as of 3:15 p.m. and police were preparing to search the building with a bomb-sniffing dog, said Riddle.

[UPDATE 7 p.m.: Police said bomb-sniffing dogs did not find any suspicious objects and the school will reopen tomorrow.]

All students and staff at the school on North Marengo Avenue were evacuated to a nearby sports field immediately after officials received the threat, said Pasadena Unified School District spokesman Adam Wolfson.

Washington Accelerated Elementary School, which is adjacent to the middle school, was also evacuated “in an abundance of caution,” Wolfson said.

Parents are instructed to pick up children who attend either school at the sports-field gate on East Penn Street that faces North Summit Avenue.

-- Joe Piasecki, Times Community News

Twitter: @JoePiasecki