False Bomb Scare: Police use Water Cannon to Blow Open Briefcase

MURRIETA – Police were called to check an abandoned briefcase in what was believed to be a possible bomb early Sunday morning.

The suspicious package was found outside this Starbucks in Murrieta

The briefcase was discovered outside a Starbucks Coffee Shop at 40735 Murrieta Hot Springs Road. Employees discovered the briefcase and called police at 5:30 a.m. on Sunday. Starbucks employees told police the briefcase had not been there on Saturday night when the store closed.

Upon arrival, police noted the combination lock was set at all zeroes, according to a Murrieta police news release. Clearing the area, Murrieta police called in the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department bomb squad. A remote-controlled robot was used to X-ray the briefcase, discovering items with circuit boards and wires inside. The unit used a 12-gauge water cannon to blast open the briefcase.

Murrieta Police Lt. Ron Firmes said the briefcase was blown open, unveiling a guitarist’s iPad unit, a guitar amplifier and mixing machine used in musical concert speaker systems. Police could not find any identification inside the briefcase.

Spelly's is in the same shopping center as Starbucks

Police deduced that the equipment likely belonged to a band that had performed at a nearby pub, Firmes said, adding that it was unclear how the briefcase wound up across the parking lot from Spelly’s Pub & Grill. Firmes said police talked to a band member, who told him they likely forgot the briefcase when they were loading up their gear from the parking lot.

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