A suspicious package found near Balboa Park's House of Israel on Saturday morning was determined to be a hoax, according to San Diego police, but the alarming incident prompted police to add patrols in the area.
Around 9:20 a.m., police received a call about the suspicious package. Upon arrival, officers located it at the back of the building, which led them to request additional resources from the Metro Arson Strike Team (MAST) and the San Diego Fire-Rescue Bomb Squad.
Officers immediately evacuated the area and combed it for any additional packages, police said.
Investigators eventually determined the package was a hoax device that posed no danger to the public, according to the San Diego Police Department.
The department emphasized that despite the innocuous nature of the device, any hoax device placed in a location to cause fear is considered a crime and is taken very seriously. The investigation is ongoing, police said.
SDPD's Criminal Intelligence Unit will continue to monitor locally and nationally for signs of additional threats. The agency added that additional patrols will continue in the Balboa Park area as well as near mosques and synagogues throughout San Diego at least into next week.
Anyone with information related to these crimes is asked to call the Metro Arson Strike Team at 619-236-6815 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
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