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Metro's 7th St./Metro Center station downtown is currently evacuated after a suspicious item was found Thursday afternoon.Around 1:35 p.m., a Metro employee discovered the item on the mezzanine level of the station, Ramon Montenegro, public information officer for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Transit Services Bureau, told LAist. The item was deemed suspicious enough to call in the sheriff's department's arson/explosive detail, according to Montenegro.
According to LAist's Tim Loc at the scene, a 3-block area around the station has been closed due to the police activity. A sheriff's deputy at the scene said the device was a "big one."
While Purple and Red line trains are currently bypassing the station, Blue and Expo line trains are currently being stopped at the Pico station.
7TH/METRO UPDATE: Blue/Expo turn back at Pico. Red/Purple trains SKIP station. pic.twitter.com/qJwUTXrio1
— LA Metro (@metrolosangeles) July 7, 2016
On- and off-ramps to the 110 freeway from 6th and 7th streets were temporarily closed, according to the CHP, but are now reopen:
^SIGALERT CANCELLATION IN LOS ANGELES: NB and SB ONRAMPS AND OFFRAMPS FROM I-110 6TH and 7TH STREET- ALL RAMPS AR NOW OPEN- DUE TO LASO
— CHP PIO - LA County (@CHPsouthern) July 7, 2016
We will update this story as more information becomes available.
JUST IN: Authorities investigating unattended package at Metro station at 7th/Flower in downtown LA pic.twitter.com/RcuJN8V4WZ
— CBS Los Angeles (@CBSLA) July 7, 2016
Downtown LA suspicious package in subway 7th & Hope bomb squad here traffic nightmare & trains stopped @KCBSKCALDesk pic.twitter.com/aRIziIEXb1
— stu mundel (@Stu_Mundel) July 7, 2016
Update [5:15]: Metro announced that the 7th Street/Metro Center station has reopened and normal service has resumed:
7TH/METRO UPDATE: station is now open, all trains resuming normal service. pic.twitter.com/8s8emCI85G
— LA Metro (@metrolosangeles) July 8, 2016
According to City News Service the sheriff's department's Arson-Explosives Unit detonated the suspicious item around 5 p.m., but did not report what it may have been.