Police investigated a suspicious item found in an allegedly stolen pickup truck in Van Nuys Tuesday afternoon.
Around 10:55 a.m., LAPD officers were about to tow the white pickup from the area of Vose Street and Sepulveda Boulevard, south of Sherman Way, when they noticed the suspicious item and called the bomb squad.
Sepulveda Boulevard south of Sherman Way was closed for almost three hours and a shopping center and some nearby homes were evacuated.
The object was later determined to not be an explosive device. The area was cleared by 3 p.m.
"It's better to be safe than sorry," said Angela Pinner, who watched the police investigate the truck. "I'm grateful that they do what they do."
