Redondo Beach Pier evacuated, closed for hours due to bomb threat, U.S. Coast Guard says

Authorities closed and evacuated the Redondo Beach Pier on Sunday
morning due to a bomb threat that's now believed to be a hoax, according
to the U.S. Coast Guard. 

The Redondo Beach Police Department issued a statement ordering the
evacuations just after 11 a.m., and later said in a news release that
they were called for reports of a hostage situation that possibly
involved explosives. 

"Police Activity on the Pier. Anyone in the area of the pier is
requested to evacuate safely," the statement said. "Please stay away
from the pier area until further notice." 

An 11:57 a.m. update confirmed that the pier was closed until further
notice. 

The pier was later reopened just after 1:30 p.m., after explosive
detection canines cleared the area, police said. 

"Detectives continue to investigate the incident. Police say preliminary
information indicates this was an isolated event and there is no known
ongoing threat," said Redondo Beach PD's news release. "The Federal
Bureau of Investigation assisted Redondo Beach police with the
investigation." 

The U.S. Coast Guard later told CBS LA that it was a reported bomb
threat that caused the evacuations. A spokesperson said it was believed
to be a hoax, although the scene remained under active investigation as
of 3 p.m. as a precaution. 

Sunday is the final day of the BeachLife Festival taking place nearby,
originally scheduled to begin at 12:20 p.m., with musical acts such as
Sheryl Crow and James Taylor set to perform in the evening. Organizers
delayed doors opening for more than an hour before posting an update to
social media that they could open up "momentarily" at about 1:45 p.m. 

"Per the direction of local safety officials, we have been given the go
ahead to safely open doors momentarily," the post reads. "We appreciate
the patience from our community and look forward to a wonderful of day
of sun, fun, and great music." 

A representative for the festival said some set times would change as a
result, with shows officially scheduled to kick off at 2 p.m. with no
further delays expected. 

"There was no threat made to BeachLife, but out of an abundance of
caution, they want to ensure that the area is safe before thousands of
people enter," said a statement from Redondo Beach City Council member
Brad Waller. 

No additional details were immediately made available. 

https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/redondo-beach-pier-evacuated/?int
cid=CNR-02-0623