Police investigate ‘small explosion’ at Piero’s restaurant near convention center
A “suspicious item” was left near an off-Strip restaurant, causing a small explosion on Thursday, according to police.
“Through the course of the investigation, detectives determined that a small explosion occurred, but no injuries have been reported at this time,” the Metropolitan Police Department said in a release. The explosion happened in the 300 block of Convention Center Drive, which is where Piero’s Italian Cuisine is located.
Around noon, two men, both chefs at Piero’s, waited just outside the police tape surrounding the Marriott hotel next door. The chefs, who declined to provide their names, stated that they arrived at work that morning and noticed what appeared to be an explosive device near the door.
The chefs said that they had called the police to report the item, and officers searched and cleared the surrounding businesses. Piero’s managers, who were also at the scene, declined to talk with reporters.
In a media briefing Thursday afternoon, Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill said that at 2:19 a.m. two men dressed in all black arrived at Piero’s Italian Cuisine.
One of the men was on a scooter, McMahill said. The suspect stepped off the scooter and walked to the front door, where he placed an “improvised explosive device.”
The device was then ignited and burned for a couple of minutes before it exploded, causing damage to the unoccupied building. McMahill said police did not receive any report on the device until about 10:36 a.m., when a cleaning crew arrived at Piero’s.
“When we arrived, it became obvious to us that the device had exploded, and we are in the midst of the investigation,” McMahill said. He added that the FBI was also involved in the investigation.
He said both men were still at large as of Thursday afternoon, but there was no threat to the community.
“To our community, there’s no reason for you to feel like there’s a threat to Las Vegas Boulevard or a threat to individuals within the community,” McMahill said.
Earlier this year, Evan Glusman, the son of the founder of Piero’s, made a no-contest plea to a charge of harassment after police said he borrowed $1.5 million against the business without permission and threatened to carry out a shooting in the restaurant.
Court records show that Glusman’s case remains active as he fulfills the requirements for his case dismissal, including staying out of trouble for a year, undergoing “in-patient” treatment, staying away from his father, and not using controlled substances.
A spokesperson for Piero’s did not immediately respond to questions about the extent of the damage to the building and whether Glusman is being investigated as a suspect.
McMahill did not take questions from reporters during the news conference. He said that Metro would provide additional details “in the hours to come.”
Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com.
