Early Morning 4.4-Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Southern California

One Riverside resident said the earthquake "sounded like a bomb going off."

A magnitude-4.4 earthquake, centered in San Bernardino County, jolted a widespread area of Southern California early Wednesday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The epicenter of the 1:35 a.m. earthquake was three miles north of Fontana and four miles west of Rialto, about 50 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.

"It felt like somebody (crashed) into our building," said Sgt. Chris Hice of the Rialto Police Department.

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Multiple aftershocks were reported in the minutes that followed the initial earthquake, according to USGS. The largest aftershock occurred at 2:07 a.m. It was a 2.3-magnitude.

"I just felt the house kind of rocking back and forth like it was on shock absorbers. It only lasted about five seconds. It sounded like a bomb going off, and the house just started rocking," Riverside resident Jeff Pracht said.

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The shaking was felt all over the Southern Calfornia. NBCLA.com visitors outside the Inland Empire also say they felt the earthquake, including reports from West Covina, Anaheim, and even Santa Monica, which is 65 miles west of the earthquake's epicenter.

"It woke us all up in the house. First a loud pounding sound then the shaking delayed," Glendora resident Sabrina Maldonado said. 

No major damage or injuries were immediately reported.

Sgt. Hice said the only report of damage in Rialto 25 minutes after the earthquake was of some broken glass at a school.

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