Copyright 1995 The Times Mirror Company
Los Angeles Times
April 27, 1995, Thursday, Ventura West Edition
SECTION: Metro; Part B; Page 3
LENGTH: 260 words
HEADLINE: EAST VENTURA COUNTY FOCUS:WESTLAKE VILLAGE; PACKAGE FORCES PACKARD BELL TO EVACUATE 300
BYLINE: By PAUL ELIAS
BODY:
A suspicious package addressed to computer giant Packard Bell's president forced about 300 workers to evacuate their Westlake Village offices for about three hours shortly after noon Wednesday.
A startled secretary noticed the package oozing fluid and, with recent bombings in mind, feared the worst.
The package turned out to be a leaky computer printing cartridge.
"It was nothing," said Al Justice, the company's security director. "Everybody is a little on edge."
"People are more cautious about these things now," said Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Diane Hecht. She said the department's bomb squad X-rayed the package and determined it to be harmless.
"I think these calls are due to the way of the world these days," Hecht said.
The Ventura County Sheriff's Department has not responded to any bomb scares since the bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building on April 19, a spokesman said. Ventura police checked the local FBI office after a bomb threat that day.
Wednesday's package was addressed to Packard Bell President Beny Alagem, heightening fear of a bomb. The so-called Unabomber killed a Sacramento timber industry lobbyist with a mail bomb Monday and has targeted other computer experts in the past 17 years.
Packard Bell plans to shut down its Westlake Village manufacturing operation by the end of this week as it completes its move to Sacramento. Some executive and administrative workers will remain in Westlake Village.
About 700 employees are still working at the Westlake Village site, Justice said. PAUL ELIAS GRAPHIC: Photo, Authorities at Packard Bell offices. Package was a leaky printing cartridge. CARLOS CHAVEZ / Los Angeles Times; Photo, COLOR, (Ventura East Edition, B1) EMPLOYEES EVACUATED: About 300 Packard Bell employees were evacuated in Westlake Village when a suspicious package addressed to the company's president was discovered. The package turned out to contain a computer printing cartridge. B3