"The suspect was described as a white or Middle Eastern man, 20 to 30 years old, about 5 feet 9 inches tall..."

Train Station Closed After Man Spills Mercury:

Dec 25, 2006 8:03 pm US/Pacific - (CBS) LOS ANGELES - Things were back to normal Monday at a downtown Metro train station that had been closed because a man intentionally spilled mercury on the platform, a sheriff's sergeant said.

A security camera recorded a man pouring about two ounces of the potentially lethal metal out of a container about 6:50 a.m. Saturday at the Metro Red Line Pershing Square Station at 500 S. Hill St., said Sgt. Loy Luna of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Sheriff's Department.

The station was closed a short time later.

Los Angeles County Fire Department personnel undertook the difficult task of cleaning up the mercury, which is not porous and cannot be absorbed, he said.

A chemical was sprayed where the mercury had been after cleanup was finished around midnight Saturday, Holland said.

The station reopened about 6 Sunday night, he said.

Uncontained, mercury breaks up into microscopic drops that can contaminate the air. If ingested into the lungs, it can cause severe health problems and death.

However, mercury needs to be heated before it becomes a serious danger, and it being December, the platform was cool, said Sgt. Mike Holland.

Because the motive was unknown, the incident was being investigated as a crime and not as a potential act of terrorism on mass transportation, Holland said.

Authorities believe the suspect merely meant to inconvenience people, he said.

The suspect was described as a white or Middle Eastern man, 20 to 30 years old, about 5 feet 9 inches tall, Luna said.

He was wearing a brown jacket, he said.

Posted on 26 December 2006 @ 18:15