Lincoln Avenue was blocked off while the bomb squad and hazmat teams worked on finding out what was left outside the front and back doors of the salon, called "Nail Spa By Tammy." An employee arriving for work just before 9 a.m. found a white powder outside the front door, clear plastic bottles filled with some kind of liquid, and a note taped to the front door threatening the shop and its employees with some kind of explosive.
It was a delicate operation that took about 4 hours, with help from a robot to determine the powder and liquids were harmless. "Once the bomb squad determined they were non-explosive materials, the hazmat teams from the county and city fire departments went in and tested the materials and they determined they were non-toxic," Sgt. Jose Garcia said.
Businesses within a two-block radius were told to either evacuate or shelter in place. Across the street, Ron Brusaschetti watched warily from inside his home decor and gift shop. At one point, he asked an officer about the powder. "He said that we don't know if it's baby powder or anthrax," he recalled, saying his reaction was to close the door.
Willow Glen Elementary School a block away from the salon was also ordered to shelter in place for about two hours. Parent Jennifer Myers was still in her second-graders' classroom when the announcement came over the loudspeaker. "I was a little bit nervous. There's some parents that took their kids out of school and some of them were very nervous and crying, and some of them just live right there across from where it happened, and came crying," she said.
The police investigation now picks up where the hazmat team left off. Police say the person or people responsible will likely face federal terrorist threat charges.
