Cellphone case resembling gun prompts lockdown at Alhambra shopping center

ALHAMBRA, Calif. (KABC) -- A man sleeping in an SUV with a cellphone case shaped like a gun in his lap caused the shutdown of an Alhambra shopping center Friday.

Alhambra police said around 10:52 a.m. they received a call regarding a possible medical issue for a man in a car parked in the lot of an Albertson's grocery store near Commonwealth and Fremont avenues.

The fire department responded and noticed a man was either sleeping or unconscious in the driver's seat of a blue Suburban. He also appeared to have a gun next to him, authorities said.

Firefighters called the police department and officers were dispatched to the scene. When they arrived, officers again inspected the car, noticed the man and said what appeared to look like a gun was on his lap next to his hand.

A SWAT team was called to the scene and businesses in the shopping center were placed on lockdown. After several attempts, the man woke up. Authorities said he surrendered by getting out of the car with his hands up around 2:35 p.m.

It was later determined that the item that looked like a gun was a cellphone case resembling the weapon. The man did not require any medical attention and was not arrested.

Authorities said the businesses that were closed went back to normal after the incident.