SAN DIEGO -- More than 100 people evacuated a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration office in Kearny Mesa Friday after a worker heard a ticking sound coming from a package in the mailroom.
The employee discovered the package at the federal complex on Viewridge Drive about 11:30 a.m., said San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokesman Maurice Luque. The worker said it looked unusual and a ticking or clicking sound that seemed to be emanating from it, Luque said.
The worker alerted a federal police officer, who made an emergency call. DEA officials cleared everyone out of the facility while a city bomb squad headed to the building.
Bomb technicians used an X-ray-equipped robot to look over the device, then sent in personnel in protective suits. They opened the roughly 16- by 20-inch parcel, finding books, DVDs and other innocuous items inside, according to Luque. It was unclear what might have made the suspicious sound inside the package.
Authorities gave an all-clear to reoccupy the complex shortly after 2 p.m., the spokesman said.
DEA officials said the suspicious package appeared to be part of a series of mysterious mailing sent to various DEA offices from Italy. In all, about 20 packages have been sent to different offices and none have contained anything dangerous.
The motive for the mysterious mailing is not known, Luque said.
