'No threat' after Berkeley Amtrak luggage scare; 2 arrested

Update, 12:25 a.m. Police found "no threat" to public safety after an hours-long investigation into several pieces of luggage left on an Amtrak train in Berkeley on Wednesday evening.

Two women, a mother and daughter, were ultimately arrested on suspicion of train-related violations, authorities said. No further information was immediately available.

Trains were held in Berkeley for more than five hours while authorities looked into the abandoned property with the help of BPD's bomb team and police dogs from Amtrak and BART.

As of about 7:30 p.m., an Amtrak spokesman said passengers from the affected train had left the area "with a combination of buses and ride-share vouchers."

At about 9:45 p.m., several passengers who elected to wait outside the station were told they could get back on the train and proceed to their destinations.

"Wherever you guys are going, we'll make sure you guys get there," an Amtrak worker assured them, offering his apologies for the lengthy delay.

Authorities ultimately X-rayed the abandoned bags and determined they were safe.

At some point in the evening, an Amtrak conductor spotted the women who had left the bags, allowing officers to arrest them at the nearby Berkeley Apple store on Fourth Street.

They were taken to Berkeley Jail for booking.

The incident drew a large police response. Officers blocked off the streets around the Amtrak station during the investigation.

As police left the area at about 10 p.m., BPD directed questions to Amtrak and said its officers had only assisted with the case.

Update, 6:45 p.m. Amtrak has confirmed that authorities are checking on unattended luggage on the train.

Trains can't pass through Berkeley until the investigation is complete.

Stay tuned for updates.

Original story: A local bomb team has been called in to investigate suspicious items left on an Amtrak train in Berkeley on Wednesday evening, authorities report.

The Scanner has asked Amtrak for details and will update this story when the transit agency responds.

Amtrak's Capitol Corridor Train 540 was stopped in Berkeley as of 5:06 p.m., according to 511, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission's travel information service.

That announcement followed a call to Berkeley police at 4:48 p.m. about a suspicious circumstance at the Amtrak station, which is located under the University Avenue overpass just west of Fourth Street at 700 University Ave.

Berkeley police said passengers left luggage or other items on the train, causing concern.

A bomb team has now been called in as officers help with containment, the department said.

Authorities have also called in a dog from UC Berkeley or BART to help with the investigation.

As of 6:30 p.m., two people had been detained. No other details were immediately available.

This story was updated after publication as additional details became available.