Suspicious device shuts down 210 Freeway in Pasadena

PASADENA, Calif. (KABC) -- The 210 Freeway was shut down in Pasadena Wednesday morning due to an investigation of a suspicious device in the carpool lane.

All lanes were reopened at 10:45 a.m.

The discovery of the suspicious item was phoned in at 8:23 a.m., said sheriff's Transit Policing Division Lt. Marc Lucio. Officials said the object was thrown from the Metro Gold Line station at Lake Avenue onto the freeway.

Deputies responded to the location and evacuated the Gold Line station. All eastbound lanes were shut down near Lake Avenue, while all westbound lanes were closed at Allen Avenue. The lane closures caused traffic to back up for miles.

"It was horrible. Traffic wasn't moving at all. I was just stuck there, but was (eventually) able to get out," explained Jose Perez, who was caught in the traffic jam.

A sheriff's bomb squad robot picked up the suspicious item, which appeared to be a dark-colored jacket or article of clothing.

Authorities deemed the object to not be a threat.

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Transit Policing Division said cameras caught a man tossing the item onto the 210 Freeway near the Metro station. According to the Pasadena Star-News, a man was taken into custody after struggling with deputies at the nearby Memorial Park station.

The suspect faces a charge of obstructing officers, but a background check revealed that he has $80,000 worth of warrants.

The incident came on the heels of a threat against the Red Line earlier this week.

City News Service contributed to this report.