A 48-year-old man who caused the evacuation of a local public bus by allegedly sprinkling a mysterious white powder inside is in federal custody following an investigation that uncovered a warrant for similar crimes.
Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested David Lohr, residence unknown, at a Los Altos bus stop near the intersection of East El Camino Real and San Antonio Road Feb. 6. He was booked on a felony no-bail warrant out of the FBI’s Los Angeles office for charges related to tampering with consumer products, according to a Sheriff’s Office press release issued last week.
The Sheriff’s Office credited two Valley Transportation Authority bus operators for helping bring Lohr to justice. The first, Juan Balleza, promptly de-boarded his bus Feb. 6 after Lohr was seen spreading the white powder – later determined to be salt – and hydrogen peroxide as the vehicle traveled near the intersection of East El Camino Real and Maria Lane in Sunnyvale, the release stated. Although Lohr left the scene, a VTA alert notified other bus operators about the search for him, and driver Michael Grenz contacted authorities upon spotting Lohr sitting at the Los Altos bus stop at 9:55 a.m., about an hour later.
Salt and receipts in Lohr’s pockets led investigators to area Safeway stores, according to the release. At one, employees noted discovering hydrogen peroxide spilled in a heated tray of rotisserie chicken Jan. 26. Video surveillance at the store allegedly showed Lohr pouring bleach onto cartons of eggs.
“Further investigation is being conducted with the grocery store to determine whether any chickens and/or eggs were sold to the public,” the release stated.
The Sheriff’s Office is not disclosing the exact location of the Sunnyvale store because the investigation is ongoing, Deputy Mike Low said.
Although salt and hydrogen peroxide are not considered hazardous, bleach can be toxic, causing irritation to the eyes, mouth, throat and lungs, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office at (408) 808-4500 or the Sheriff’s Office Investigative Services anonymous tip line at (408) 808-4431.
