RIVERSIDE: “Destructive device” located at Fairmount Park after explosion report
City of Riverside Police Department’s bomb-sniffing K9 “Shadow” assisted in Friday’s incident. Riverside PD photo
RIVERSIDE – Bomb Squad personnel from Riverside Police Department’s Technical Services Unit were called to Fairmount Park after receiving reports of an explosion, Friday, Jan. 6.
Bomb squad members located a “destructive device” inside a trash can near the boathouse at the park’s Lake Evans, an official explained in a press release about the incident.
Officials first responded to the park about 2:45 p.m., after a visitor at the popular downtown Riverside park heard what she believed was the sound of an explosion inside the trashcan.
“When she approached the trashcan, she found a melted plastic bag inside,” officials explained.
The woman then called 911 to report the incident.
Riverside Police and Fire Departments responded to the scene. Police officers quickly confirmed finding signs of an explosion from inside the trash can.
Shadow takes time from his busy bomb-sniffing schedule to mug for the camera. Riverside PD photo
At that point officers summoned the department’s Technical Services Unit to the location.
Officers cordoned off the area for the safety of the public and other emergency first responders and officials who were responding to the location.
Riverside PD’s Technical Services Unit responded to the park and assumed the investigation.
During a search, TSU members located a destructive device inside the trashcan. Members collected evidence and documented the scene. They also put the department’s bomb-sniffing K9 “Shadow” to work, checking the area for other explosive devices.
No other devices were found during their search, according to officials.
“There was no reported injuries or property damage due to the explosion and TSU detectives will conduct the follow-up investigation,” an official explained the release.
Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact Riverside police officials at (951) 826-5700. Callers can remain anonymous.
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Trevor Montgomery spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg in an off-duty accident.
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including the Robert Presley Detention Center, the Southwest Station in Temecula, the Hemet Station, and the Lake Elsinore Station, along with many other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, Personnel and Background Investigations and he finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator.
Trevor has been married for more than 26 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and has 13 children and 12 – soon to be 13 – grandchildren.