Blake Herzog

TDS

The Time Warner Cable office in Palm Springs was evacuated at about 10:45 a.m. Friday after sugar fell out of an envelope, arousing suspicion, police and fire officials said.

Three employees found the partially opened envelope and when they picked it up, a granular white substance fell out, Palm Springs fire Battalion Chief Robert Wright said. The employees put the envelope in a sealed bag and called police before leaving the office.

Shortly before 2 p.m., they were allowed back into the office, 440 S. El Cielo Road, after Riverside County's hazardous materials team determined the substance was not hazardous. Prior to that Time Warner Cable workers were kept in isolation outside the building as police, fire and health officials investigated, Wright said.

Palm Springs police Sgt. Kyle Stjerne would not comment on whether there was any kind of note in the envelope, but said the investigation is ongoing.

He warned everyone away from trying to pull any kind of hoax or prank like this on a place of business, saying they could face some serious charges and "it's not going to have the effect you want it to."

The evacuation comes almost a year after an envelope with a nonhazardous, powdery substance arrived at Time Warner Cable's Indio office, 81-557 Dr. Carreon Blvd., Suite C-7.

At that time, the cable company was in the midst of a dispute that had Coachella Valley stations KMIR and KPSE off the lineup on Aug. 6, 2013.