Edhat Staff
At approximately 11:15 a.m. this morning, August 22, 2018, an employee with the Isla Vista Recreation and Parks District came to the Isla Vista Foot Patrol with a backpack found abandoned in a wooded area of Anisq’ Oyo Park in Isla Vista. When deputies looked inside the backpack, they observed a suspected pipe bomb inside. The lobby was immediately closed and the building was evacuated. The Sheriff’s Bomb Squad was deployed to respond, examine the suspicious device and render it safe.
In order to ensure no one was in harm’s way, Sheriff’s deputies went door to door notifying residents in the immediate area to evacuate. An emergency alert was sent instructing residents to avoid the 6500 blocks of Trigo Road, Sabado Tarde and Seville Road as well as walking and bike paths on Ocean Road between Seville and Sabado Tarde. Vehicle and pedestrian traffic was re-routed away from this area by Sheriff’s deputies and UCPD officers.
At approximately 1:45 p.m., the Sheriff’s Bomb Squad rendered the suspicious device safe and determined it to be a string of D batteries wrapped in silver duct tape with a cord coming out of the bottom. It is unclear at this time as to whether the device was actually being used as a makeshift power source or if it was created to look like a destructive device. The Sheriff’s Office has no indication to believe that anyone was specifically targeted as a victim.
The incident is under investigation. Anyone with information regarding the abandoned backpack or the suspicious device is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at (805)683-2724. For Anonymous Tips, please call (805)681-4171 or go to our website at: https://www.sbsheriff.org/
The Sheriff’s Bomb Squad is the only public safety Bomb Squad in Santa Barbara County. The squad serves the entire county and all law enforcement jurisdictions at no charge to any requesting agency. The Sheriff’s Bomb Squad provides expert explosive and bomb disposal response 24 hours per day, 365 days a year.
At approximately 11:15 a.m. this morning, an employee with the Isla Vista Recreation and Parks District came to the Isla Vista Foot Patrol with a backpack found abandoned in a wooded area of Anisq’Oyo Park.
When deputies looked inside the backpack they observed a suspected pipe bomb inside. The lobby was closed and the building was evacuated. The Bomb Squad was deployed to respond, examine the suspicious device and render it safe. In the meantime, door to door notifications were made to residents in the immediate area to evacuate.
An aware and prepare alert was sent as well telling residents to avoid the 6500 blocks of Trigo Road, Sabado Tarde and Seville Road as well as walking and bike paths on Ocean Road between Seville and Sabado Tarde.
Traffic is being re-routed.
A pipe bomb made out of tin foil? These deputies need a class in physics.
They probably didn’t originally spend time close enough to identify all of it to begin with. And, what if there were explosives under the silver DUCT TAPE, along with nails and other shrapnel… and, it had blown up? It could still injure someone. These days, better safe than sorry.
What if your keyboard is wired up to explode whenever you post to EdHat? WATCH OUT! BE AFRAID!
Yeah, because duct tape is so much stronger than tin foil. Do you have any understanding of why a pipe bomb is made out of a pipe? Why a pressure cooker bomb uses a pressure cooker?
Yes, I understand all about pressure and explosives. Doesn’t mean a small explosive with shrapnel could not have been under the duct tape, which could have injured even one person unnecessarily. Or, the duct tape could also hide a pipe bomb. Even a small one. I’m glad the folks in charge chose to be cautious. I don’t want them getting hurt either. They are doing their job. Guess I don’t care for the fact that some seem to be amused by their caution. Would you be happier if an explosive had been wrapped up in that…. and, someone was hurt? With threats, and police being harmed/killed, none of it is funny to me. People have been killed opening a small cardboard box.
“Would you be happier if an explosive had been wrapped up in that….”
No, but it seems that *you* would be happy with that, since it would vindicate *your* position, not mine.
Heard it’s possible, but have never seen a “D-cell phone charger” until now. Cool. Those guys at IVPRD need to lay off the strong stuff.
What are you talking about!? There is NO way I would have WANTED there to be an explosive involved. I was just pointing out that it is better when there is any question about safety, I would much rather have our first responders handle it the way they did. Except, I think that the person who found the backpack should have left it where it was, perhaps backed off and stayed within sight of it, and reported it instead of carrying it in. That’s what they tell the public to do. As I indicated I don’t think much of the folks making fun of the fact that they did have the bomb squad check it out. THAT is what I’m saddened about. Even a fire cracker, or a sparkler can cause injury. And, without a pipe or a pressure cooker. I’m proud of them for not assuming it was safe, just because it may not have appeared dangerous to you, and others, seeing a photo of it, after they knew and stated there was nothing dangerous about it.
“What are you talking about!? There is NO way I would have WANTED there to be an explosive involved.”
And yet you said (first) that I did. That makes you a hypocrite and all around bad person.
P.S. applying your own rhetorical dodging, I would note that I only said that it *seems* that you would be happy with that, not that you would. But the truth is that, were someone to come across a pipe bomb tomorrow that they mistook for a battery pack and got hurt by it, you would get a little thrill and would rush here going “See!” … you wouldn’t be able to help yourself; it’s human nature. Over and out, forever.
That is simply not true, and i have not been ‘dodging’ anything. I have been trying to say all along that I’m glad the police didn’t make the mistake of thinking it was not a danger. I wouldn’t want anyone to make that mistake. I’m also glad this wasn’t some sort of explosive device, which can be made of different materials, since in transporting it, the employee who took it to the police could have been hurt. I’m upset because of all the comments made to make it look like they over reacted. You don’t know me at all, and making an assumption like that is ridiculous. I have taken care of people who have been injured, and/or burned, and don’t want it to happen to anyone for any reason.
PS: My question was just that, a question. I am sorry if you decided it was not merely that. I would have directly accused you if I had wanted or intended it to be a smear.
I ASKED you if you wanted that. That is why the words ‘would you’ and the question mark were in place. I NEVER said that you wanted that, I asked you. I am not a hypocrite, nor a bad person. I just choose not to make fun of people doing their job to protect themselves or others from any possibility of harm. Such as, ‘These deputies need a class in physics.’, and, other such comments.