ANOTHER TOXIC THREAT; ANONYMOUS CALL SHUTS CABLE OFFICES.Byline: Phillip W. Browne and Steve Carney Daily News Staff Writers An anonymous telephone caller's warning of a chemical hazard forced 200 employees at Time Warner Cable This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Alone, primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of this article are not sufficient for an accurate encyclopedia article. Television Co. to evacuate Wednesday - at least the third similar threat in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. since Friday. It wasn't immediately clear if the call was connected to a series of anthrax threats at government buildings and businesses in recent weeks in the Valley and Southern California. Officials at the scene said they didn't find any contamination, but they would test samples taken from the building. ``I would characterize this as a hoax and a threat,'' said Cmdr. Bruce E. Hagerty of the Los Angeles Police Department "LAPD" and "L.A.P.D." redirect here. For other uses, see LAPD (disambiguation).  This article or section is written like an . . ``We
searched the building. We found no device, nothing to give any
credibility to the threat.''
In a related development Wednesday, Assemblyman Robert Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, said he will introduce a bill to impose up to 12 years in prison for anyone who makes a terrorist threat. Hertzberg said such crimes now are a misdemeanor. ``As we saw all too clearly this week in the San Fernando Valley, terrorism and the threat of terrorism are - unfortunately - facts of modern life,'' Hertzberg said. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department This article is about the Los Angeles County Sherriff's Department, not to be confused with the smaller Los Angeles County Police The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) is a local law enforcement agency that serves Los Angeles County, California. developed the legislation, working with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies A law enforcement agency (LEA) is a term used to describe any agency which enforces the law. This may be a local or state police, federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). . Wednesday's threat at Time Warner at 9260 Topanga Canyon Blvd. occurred about 10 a.m. when firefighters received a call, Los Angeles Fire Department The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), also known as the Los Angeles City Fire Department to distinguish it from the Los Angeles County Fire Department. It is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of Los Angeles. spokesman Brian Humphrey said. ``We got a very cryptic call warning of a chemical hazard at the building,'' Humphrey said. The workers were allowed to re-enter re·en·ter also re-en·ter v. re·en·tered, re·en·ter·ing, re·en·ters v.tr. 1. To enter or come in to again. 2. To record again on a list or ledger. v.intr. the building at 3:45 p.m., and police said the business would reopen immediately. Like it did with evacuees Resident or transient persons who have been ordered or authorized to move by competent authorities, and whose movement and accommodation are planned, organized and controlled by such authorities. at a similar threat Monday at Van Nuys Civic Center, the county Department of Health Services Department of Health Services may refer to:
Phil Klein, Time Warner's vice president of operations, said all scheduled home-cable maintenance Wednesday was uninterrupted and all of the business's telephone calls were answered at another facility. There was no interruption in cable service because the company's automated system remained up and running, he said. Time Warner executives were prepared for this kind of threat and had an action plan to deal with it, they said. On Monday about 2,200 people were evacuated from the Los Angeles Superior and Municipal courthouses in Van Nuys when someone called 911 and claimed anthrax had been released there. The courthouses were scheduled to reopen today, but all court cases and hearings were postponed until next week, court officials said. Three days earlier, an anonymous caller told authorities that the bacterium had been released into the ventilation system ventilation system Public health An air system designed to maintain negative pressure and exhaust air properly, to minimize the spread of TB and other respiratory pathogens in a health care facility at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court bankruptcy court n. the specialized Federal court in which bankruptcy matters under the Federal Bankruptcy Act are conducted. There are several bankruptcy courts in each state, and each one's territory covers several counties. building in Woodland Hills. In addition, a Westwood office building was evacuated Thursday when a letter threatened anthrax contamination there. Hagerty said there's no indication any of the four recent threats in the city are connected. ``We have several clues that we're investigating. We have some very good leads,'' he said. ``I'm confident we will make arrests,'' Hagerty said, though he wouldn't specify why or give details about the leads that detectives are following. Symptoms of exposure to anthrax usually develop in two to six days. They include coughing, muscle aches and chest pains, and a sustained fever of more than 100.5 degrees. People who develop symptoms should call the county Health Department's acute communicable disease control unit at (213) 240-7941. After hours or on weekends, dial (213) 974-1234. CAPTION(S): Photo, Map Photo: A firefighter talks to Time Warner employees while a chemical threat is investigated Wednesday in the company's Chatsworth building. Hans Gutknecht/Daily News Map: Time Warner Cable Co. - Chatsworth |
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