Suspicious package found near Temple Sinai of Glendale declared safe

A suspicious package discovered Friday outside Temple Sinai of Glendale that prompted police to evacuate the area was determined to be safe after an attempt at detonation failed to produce an explosion, police said.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s bomb squad cleared the package shortly before 5 p.m. after it was discovered in the 1200 block of North Pacific Avenue, prompting the evacuation of nearby homes and businesses.

It was not immediately clear if anyone was inside the temple at the time it was discovered. Phone calls to the temple went unanswered.

Temple Sinai is a reform congregation that serves the Jewish community in Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena and the foothills.

Pacific Avenue was temporarily closed to traffic between Stocker and Dryden streets as officials investigated the package, which Glendale police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said “appeared to have wires” protruding.

A bomb-sniffing dog was sent to check out the perimeter of the temple to ensure nothing else was missed, Lorenz said, adding that the action was taken “purely out of an abundance of caution.”

-- Veronica Rocha, Times Community News

Follow Veronica Rocha on Google+ and on Twitter: @VeronicaRochaLA.