Bomb threat forces hours-long closure of Temecula DMV
TEMECULA, Calif. — Authorities say a bomb threat called in to Temecula’s Department of Motor Vehicles office on the 27000 block of Diaz Rd. caused the government building to be evacuated and shut down for several hours, Thursday morning, July 2.
The phoned-in threat also forced area residents and businesses to shelter in place until officials with bomb-sniffing K-9s thoroughly checked the building, its parking lot, and all the surrounding vehicles.
The incident ended when officials deemed the threat to be a hoax and gave the all-clear for the office and surrounding businesses to reopen and return to normal business.
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California Highway Patrol officers were alerted to the potential crisis around 10:15 a.m., after CHP’s Dispatch Center received a 911 call from DMV employees advising that they had just received a bomb threat.
CHP officers and deputies from the Southwest Sheriff’s Station were dispatched to the DMV office, arriving at the scene within minutes of the dispatched call, CHP Officer Mike Lassig later reported from the scene.
A bomb threat called in to Temecula’s DMV office forced the hours-long closure of the government building until explosives-sniffing K-9s finished searching the interior and exterior of the building and officials gave the all clear to return. Spirit of Innovation photo
When officials arrived, CHP immediately began evacuating employees and citizens from the building; while sheriff’s deputies assisted by going door-to-door, warning everyone within close proximity to the building to either evacuate the area or shelter in place.
Once the building was confirmed to be evacuated, specially trained explosives-detecting K-9’s were brought in to assist with searching for any potentially dangerous or explosive devices.
“When (the K-9s) arrived, they did a sniff of the exterior of the building, all the vehicles that were parked in the area, and then they entered the inside of the building to do an interior sniff,” Lassig told Spirit of Innovation reporter Gabriella Venturo from the scene. (See video below.)
At around 12:36 p.m., after the bomb-sniffing K-9s concluded their search of both the exterior and interior of the DMV building, investigators concluded that no threat was found in or around the building; which was deemed safe at that time.
Officials could be seen discussing the phoned-in bomb threat while CHP bomb-sniffing K-9s searched the area for any potentially dangerous or explosive devices. Spirit of Innovation photo
While officials worked at the scene, Diaz Rd. was closed from Rancho Way to Via Montezuma, and motorists were detoured around the scene.
“The CHP is the lead investigating agency for this because we are the state agency – we are the state police – so we’ll handle the investigation,” said Lassig; who added, “DMV investigators are assisting with the ongoing investigation.”
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Trevor Montgomery, 48, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, (the now defunct) Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta County.
Trevor 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, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with 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, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 29 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 16 grandchildren.