This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
Port of Los Angeles employee gets house arrest in bomb hoax
The Port of Los Angeles.
(
Mae Ryan/KPCC
)
Prosecutors say a former port employee has been sentenced in connection to a bomb hoax that forced the evacuation of a tugboat facility and shipping terminal at the Port of Los Angeles for several hours.
In a release Tuesday, City Attorney Carmen Trutanich says 41-year-old John Edward Bearden pleaded no contest before being sentenced to five months of house arrest and probation.
Bearden was a mechanic at the port's tugboat facility on Terminal Island when he attached a fake bomb to a forklift on June 20.
A forklift operator discovered the fake device. It looked like a bomb but was metal oil filters, batteries and wires bound with duct tape and black electrical tape.
Authorities say the hoax cost the port $126,000. A restitution hearing is scheduled for June 27.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
