East valley homes evacuated for probe of suspicious item in false alarm

Several east valley homes were evacuated Wednesday while Las Vegas police investigated a "suspicious item."

Originally thought to be a pressure-cooker bomb with a trip wire, it turned out to be nothing, police said later in the night.

Metro officers were called just after 6 a.m. Wednesday to 4928 E. Monroe Ave., near the intersection of Nellis Boulevard and Owens Avenue, for an "investigative follow-up," according to dispatch logs.

Police were called again at 10:53 a.m. to the same address for an "animal complaint," the logs show.

Metro was assisting the FBI in serving a search warrant, said Metro spokesman Officer Jesse Roybal. Roybal could not comment on the nature of the warrant because the FBI is the lead agency in the investigation, he said.

The Las Vegas fire department bomb squad responded to the home just before 1:40 p.m., the fire alarm site shows.

"During the course of the service of the search warrant, investigators encountered a suspicious item which warranted the response of the LVMPD ARMOR Task Force," the department wrote in an email release about 3:10 p.m.

Police could not say whether anyone was at the Monroe home when they tried to serve the warrant.

Homes in the immediate area were evacuated as a precaution, the release said. It was unclear how many homes were evacuated.

Roybal didn't know what roads were closed or how long the closures would last. He said drivers have restricted access to "major roads" in the area.

Wesley Juhl contributed. Contact Kimber Laux at klaux@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @lauxkimber