The threat of a terror attack against a busy commuter rail station in the Los Angeles area has prompted authorities to increase security throughout the region and urge commuters to report any suspicious behavior they see.
“Information was relayed this morning to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force from our international partners that there was a potential threat,” Deirdre Fike, assistant director of the FBI’s Los Angeles office, told reporters Monday night.
She said the caller threatened to carry out the attack sometime Tuesday at the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Universal City rail station, which is near Universal Studios.
“We are right now looking at the credibility of the threat,” she said.
Although authorities tend to receive such threats more often during the holidays, Fike said, they chose to tell the public about this one because of its specificity and because the attack was threatened for the next day.
The Universal City Red Line station is adjacent to Universal CityWalk, an area filled with restaurants, nightclubs and other entertainment activities and often crowded with tourists. Universal Studios and several high-rise hotel and office buildings are nearby.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies could be seen patrolling the area with dogs Monday night.
Mayor Eric Garcetti urged people to go about their business Tuesday, but to also expect to see more security at every commuter rail stop in the region.
“My advice right now is that everybody should go about their normal day tomorrow,” he said. “In fact I’ll be boarding the Red Line myself tomorrow morning at Universal City.
The line carries commuters from Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley to downtown’s Union Station. About 150,000 riders a day take it and the Purple Line, which covers some of the same route.
Police Chief Charlie Beck and Sheriff Jim McDonnell said stepped-up security would include additional uniformed officers, including some with dogs, as well as officers in plainclothes.
“This could be real, it could be a hoax. But we must remain calm but vigilant,” McDonnell said.
Both he and Beck encouraged anyone who sees anything suspicious to contact authorities immediately.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
*uck california
Now I wonder if you Sanctuary Cities will finally comply with President Elect Donald J.Trump’s request/order to eliminate the illegals (the ones who are known criminals first), from you city! If your federal funds are cut off, how will you pay people to protect your citizens?
Being born and raised in California I don’t take offense, liberals have destroyed that state along with the entire west coast. I no longer live in that state, moved several years ago when the writing on the wall was overwhelming. For all I care that entire state would be better off falling into the ocean than to have liberals remain in control. California is a perfect case study to what happens to a state when the lunatic liberal left gets their clutches into it.
Why would anyone divulge where their attack will be? There sure are a bunch of angry mentally ill people in the USA……
Finally a sane president who is making the liberals insane. ( or more insane then ever)