Galleria Searched Due to Bomb Threat

The Galleria shopping center on the corner of Sepulveda and Ventura boulevards was the target of a bomb threat early Tuesday.

The threat was faxed in at 7:30 a.m. to the Warner Bros. building at the Galleria, but the targeted business did not call the police until 10:45 a.m, according to LAPD spokesman Richard French.

Police were dispatched to the area and evacuated the shopping center, as well as the office buildings on each corner of the intersection. Nobody was allowed to go to the Galleria parking lot, so shoppers were calling their friends and family for a ride home.

Women from the Paul Mitchell School hair salon were standing on the street corners in their black beauty smocks with wet hair color and half-finished blow-dries. The waiters and waitresses from Cheesecake Factory were huddled outside of the restaurant. And 24 Fitness gym-goers were waiting to get back to their spinning classes and other workouts.

Nothing was found, however, when police swept the area. The stores were reopened around 12:15 p.m.

"It was what we call a Code 4," French said. "There was no harm done and police determined it was safe for everyone to go back in the building."