UPDATE 2:54 p.m. The San Luis Obispo County Bomb Task Force and Haz Mat Team have determined that the suspicious object found at an Atascadero apartment complex Friday morning isn’t hazardous, according to police.
The evacuation order was lifted around 1:45 p.m.
Authorities described the object as being a plastic bag wrapped with black electrical tape with a water bottle inside. Inside the bottle is an unidentified blue/green colored liquid that authorities have determined isn’t an explosive or a chemical used to burn skin. A Bomb Task Force robot pierced the bottle and when no reaction occurred, the liquid was tested for hazardous compounds used to threaten the public.
The liquid hadn’t been identified as of Friday afternoon. Tests are ongoing, and investigators remain on scene.
The object was found in a swimming pool at the Oaks Apartments, at 9400 block of Jornada Lane in Atascadero.
A maintenance manager at the complex removed it from the water with a skimmer net and reported it to the property manager, who then called authorities around 9 a.m.
Police are still investigating whether the incident was a prank, a case of littering or something more serious.
“We don't have any concrete suspects at this point,” Atascadero police Sgt. Gregg Meyer said.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Atascadero Police Department at 461-5051.
Original story: People in an Atascadero apartment complex were evacuated this morning as police and fire officials investigate a suspicious object found in a swimming pool in the 9400 block of Jornada Lane, off El Camino Real.
An object, which a police dispatcher reported as being wrapped in plastic, was found at the Oaks Apartments, according to a news release from Atascadero police.
Firefighters are checking to make sure the object is not hazardous. An evacuation was ordered about 10 a.m., a police dispatcher said.
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