ANAHEIM, CALIF., A prankster who wrapped a co-worker’s truck in cellophane outside the Anaheim Memorial Medical Center is facing possible criminal charges today after his practical joke prompted a response by a bomb squad.
Police with a bomb-sniffing dog and fire crews rushed to the 1100 block of La Palma Avenue around 4:30 p.m. Thursday after someone saw the plastic- wrapped truck and called authorities, police said.
A hospital employee who owns the Chevrolet pickup truck told police it was a prank by a co-worker, who acknowledged that to investigators, said Anaheim police Sgt. Bob Dunn.
In addition to wrapping the truck in plastic, the man also attached notes to the grill area of the vehicle saying, “Plastics are hazardous,” “Keep distance” and “Truck armed with plastics.”
Officers cordoned off the area, locked down the medical center and blocked traffic on La Palma until about 7 p.m., the photographer said. Police will refer the results of their investigation, including a tally of the emergency response costs incurred, to the city attorney for possible
prosecution, Dunn said.
In a post-9-11 world, Dunn said, police and fire agencies take any threats very seriously, especially those involving heavy-traffic facilities like a medical center
