Police briefs

A powdery substance found on a letter from the Mideast feared to be

anthrax was found not to be hazardous Saturday after a Huntington Beach

post office had to be evacuated.

“Everyone is on a heightened sense of alert right now,� said United

States Postal Inspector Pamela Prince. “Most of the time these turn out

to be innocuous materials.�

The U.S. Postal Service is continuing it’s investigation into the

mysterious powder found on the letter.

The post office at 9151 Atlanta Ave. stopped all mail service Saturday

after a man walked into the Huntington Beach Police Department and

reported the post office had received a letter that either contained or

was covered in some type of powdery substance, said Huntington Beach

police Sgt. Janet Perez.

Officers went to the post office, where an evacuation was underway.

Six postal employees were taken to the hospital as a precaution. Three of

them had direct exposure to the letter and three may have come in contact

with it.

Huntington Beach Fire Department and U.S. Army personnel also

responded to the scene and tested the substance, which was found to be

negative for any chemical or biological substance. Prince said the nature

of the substance hadn’t been determined.

Pharmacy employees held at knife point for prescription

A suspect was in custody Monday after threatening employees at a

Huntington Beach pharmacy with a pocket knife as he tried to walk out

with a filled prescription.

Robert Pressler, 35, of Modesto was taken to Huntington Beach City

Jail and booked on suspicion of robbery, burglary, forgery and driving

with a suspended or revoked license.

Pharmacy employees attempted to stop Pressler when he allegedly tried

to walk out of the West Pharmacy at 18061 Beach Blvd. at 4 p.m. Monday

with a forged prescription.

Pressler allegedly demanded the employees allow him to leave,

threatening them with a pocket knife, said Huntington Beach police Lt.

Bill Peterson.

Upon exiting the pharmacy police said Pressler ran southbound on Beach

Boulevard before getting in a red Volkswagen.

After a five-minute pursuit Pressler came to a stop and was arrested.

There were no injuries to officers or Pressler and the knife was

recovered.