Rigged Mousetrap Deemed Cause of Bomb Squad Investigation

A CO2 cartridge attached to a mousetrap dropped in Fire Station 69's mailbox prompted fire personnel to call in the Los Angeles Police Department Bomb Squad last Friday.

When Capt. Mike Ketaily walked in for work that morning, a firefighter noticed the item sitting on the floor near the drop-in mail slot and picked it up. He said the device was wrapped in plastic packaging tape.

"I didn't want to touch that thing," Ketaily said Thursday night reporting to the Pacific Palisades Community Council.

Then, LAFD called their arsen unit and it turned into a full-scale incident. The bomb scale was called, and then Fire Station 69 and adjacent homes were evacuated.

"In my 33 years, I've never seen this," Ketaily added.

Senior Lead Officer Michael Moore said the bomb technicians removed the device from the building and blew it up.

"The bomb squad considers it small explosive device," Moore said." There's a small chance it could have been triggered. If the mousetrap triggered it, it could have been projectile. It's unlikely, but that’s how they're viewing it. So they blew it up."

Moore told the council to compare it to plastic soda bottles that can be turned into explosive devices and can build up pressure.

New leads on car break suspects

• Moore also told the council traffic detecitives tracked down two suspects in Hesperia who they believe have broken into a majority of cars in the Temescal Canyon area. He said the scheme was to target cars, mostly of hikers leaving behind wallets and purses, and then go on a shopping spree at Target. Moore said it was a man and a pregnant woman with an 11-month-old child commiting the crimes. Moore said they were caught on surveillance camera using the stolen credit cards.
• Moore noted they arrested a suspect for breaking into a car at the Palisades Recreation Center. The suspect reportedly confessed to breaking into more than 100 vehicles.

Halloween air soft gun shooters sought

As reported in the police blotters, Moore said LAPD received several reports on Halloween of teenagers driving around the community with bb or air soft guns, firing them at people and driving off.

"It’s extra disturbing to just fire something, just an air soft gun at a perfect stranger," Moore said. "That could lead to greater violence along the line."

Station 69 launches Twitter account

Kataily told the council Thursday that Station 69 launched a Twitter account @PalisadesER.