All clear: Police determine no bomb at Rancho Mirage car dealership

Riverside County Sheriff’s Department give the all clear after evacuating several businesses and shut down Highway 111 after a report of an explosive device found at a Rancho Mirage car dealership.

According to the Sheriff’s Department they got a call around 11:39 a.m. that a mechanic, at Desert European Motor Cars in Rancho Mirage, was checking out a car that had just been returned to the dealership, when he noticed that fuel was leaking from the car, after further investigation he noticed putty and a battery near the gas tank.

The Sheriff’s Department Explosive Ordinance Team was called in to investigate. They determined that the putty like substance the mechanic found was not explosive and the battery was also not connected. They gave the all clear about 2:40 p.m.

During the investigation several businesses and a portion of Highway 111 between the Library and Indian Trail were shut down for about 3 hours.