A scare at a Coachella Valley school prompted an evacuation Thursday morning after a suspicious device was spotted on campus, authorities said. Deputies from the Riverside Sheriff's Thermal Station rushed to the scene at the school located on the 83000 block of Airport Boulevard in Coachella at about 8:11 a.m., as officials were forced to quickly arrange student relocation to neighboring schools for safety.
The alarm was raised when a staff member came across the object, prompting law enforcement to cordon off the area. The Riverside Sheriff's Hazardous Device Team was called in to carefully assess and to eventually determine the device was bogus, posing no actual threat.
This harrowing event turned out to be a hoax after the device, which caused substantial alarm amongst school staff and parents alike, was deemed non-dangerous. Still, deputies collected and removed the ominous-looking object as part of their ongoing investigation into who might have placed the hoax device on the campus premises.
As the case unfolds, the identity of the suspected prankster remains a mystery. Law enforcement officials are earnestly appealing to the public to come forward with any information that may aid in their investigation. Anyone in the know is encouraged to reach out to Investigator Rogelio Gutierrez of the Sheriff's Thermal Station at 760-863-8990 or call the Riverside County Sheriff's Office at 951-776-1099. As always, tipsters who prefer to remain unnamed can discreetly relay information through crime stoppers or the provided online form, ensuring their anonymity is preserved, according to the Sheriff's Department press release.
