New Year's Eve bomb scare

unedited 1/08 Tahoe Mt.News:

By Kathryn Reed

A device similar to a liquid bullet blew away the packaging on a suspected bomb to reveal it was a hoax. That was hours after the man who left it at the Wells Fargo inside the Stateline Raley’s got away with more than $2,000.
Some would say committing armed robbery isn’t the smartest activity on New Year’s Eve because the Stateline area is swarming with law enforcement. The suspect eluded authorities that night, but was arrested four days later at the Midway Inn in South Lake Tahoe where he was living.
Scott Alan Pearson, 48, faces charges of robbery, burglary and using a destructive device to terrorize. As of press time, he had not posted the $250,000 bail to get out of El Dorado County Jail.
Wells Fargo is in the front left corner of Raley’s – a decent distance from the automatic doors -- farther than most tellers are from the front door of a free standing bank. The robber had to scamper past aisles of Lake Tahoe souvenirs on his way out.
Presumably an unintended consequence was more than just the bank got robbed. On what is one of the most profitable retail days of the year, it was the third blow of 2007 to the stores at Village Center. First was the dismal 2006-07 ski season, then the Angora Fire. The robbery, which practically emptied the center, was the clincher.
“This was the busiest day of the year,” said Barbara Parina, who owns Side Street Boutique. “All our customers left.”
It cut that day’s proceeds in half – a six figure loss she didn’t want published.
She stood in the doorway looking disheartened with only two customers in the store. Employees stood by hoping the night might be salvaged. The place had been packed until the sirens and swirling lights from multiple agencies swarmed the area.
Officers stopped people from entering the parking lot shortly after the 3:10 p.m. incident was reported Dec. 31.
“I’m pissed more than scared,” Parina said.
Mark Gant, who owns three stores in the center, didn’t want to talk to the media. Instead, he opened his doors to the city cops and FBI to interview witnesses.
Bank and grocery store workers milling about outside as day became night and temperatures dropped dramatically said they were told not to talk to the press.
Even though Raley’s was evacuated until employees were let back in at 5:45 p.m., the rest of the center remained open. People didn’t mind dining at Blue Dog Pizza, which shares a wall with the grocery store.
The robber left behind a box that necessitated Douglas County Sheriff’s Department’s bomb squad to intervene.
“It had all the appearance of an actual device,” Douglas Sgt. Jim Halsey said. “When they tried to do an X-ray they could not determine if it was a valid device.”
A high pressure water cannon shot liquid at what looked like a standard shipping box. All this was done at Raley’s while people waited outside.
“It’s pretty safe to use because in most cases it won’t cause an explosion,” Halsey said. “Once they blew it apart they could see there was no explosive inside.”