By Ted AYALA

Glendale Police Department (GPD) was called out late Saturday night after being informed of a pipe bomb in a vehicle that was parked in front of the police department.

The suspect at the center of the incident was Saro Akhverdyan, 50, of Glendale. At about 9 p.m. Akhverdyan’s sister and nephew took him to the GPD headquarters at 131 N. Isabel St. seeking advice on how to deal with his paranoia over two unidentified individuals he believed were threatening him.

Akhverdyan told the police that he had a pipe bomb in the vehicle and described it.

“He was cooperative,” said Sgt. Tom Lorenz.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Bomb Squad was contacted and Isabel Street was cordoned off. The pipe bomb, which had a working fuse and contained pellets and bullets, had the potential to maim or kill anybody within a 150 feet radius.

The bomb was safely detonated at about midnight. Isabel Street was closed down for about four hours.

Akhverdyan was taken into custody and held in lieu of $500,000 bail. The suspect was fully cooperative with GPD. City spokesman Tom Lorenz stated that neither City Hall nor GPD headquarters were the targets of Akhverdyan’s pipe bomb.

  Ted Ayala