Threat At Palms Religious Center Forces Evacuations For Hours

PALMS (CBSLA) – Police surrounded a religious center in the Palms neighborhood near Culver City for more than five hours Friday after receiving an unconfirmed threat about an armed man possibly barricaded inside: a call which may have been a hoax.

The incident began at around 7 a.m. when Los Angeles police officers responded to a call from a man who told emergency dispatchers he was barricaded inside the Hare Krishna Cultural Center, located at 3764 Watseka Ave., with guns and explosives and planned on committing a shooting.

Officers evacuated about 30 people from nearby homes and buildings and established a perimeter around the temple, police said.

However, at around 1:30 p.m., police cleared the building, confirming that no one was inside.

"This has been something that we've seen here in Los Angeles, and with so many high profile targets, whether it's individuals or locations... obviously the strain it puts on our resources is incredible," Det. Meghan Aguilar told reporters regarding the possibility that the call may have been a hoax.

No further details were confirmed about the threat or whether police had identified who was behind it.