Turlock Inn owner and operator Naresh Patel discovered six sticks of possible dynamite, taped together, and with a clock that read 3:26 near the hotel’s dumpster.Naresh Patel found the possible bomb at around 2:15pm on Friday. Turlock Inn’s operator said that the police arrived about 15 minutes later and that his customers were evacuated as the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Bomb Squad was called out.
While everyone was waiting for the bomb squad, Patel was losing money as his Turlock Inn was evacuated and closed. His Golden State and 20th Century Blvd. location was a prime location for many visiting swap meet vendors pouring into the city. The neighboring hotel was filling up while the Turlock Inn was temporarily closed.
The bomb squad arrived at around 4:15pm with their robot and explosive detonation tank, but only to find that it was a fake. The bomb squad left around 5:30pm and the Turlock Inn was opened back up by 5:45pm.Patel continued to be himself, staying optimistic, and believing that he would catch up to his competition’s bookings and later go on to continue out booking his competition.
The neighboring business across the street, Neto’s Catering, was still able to keep preparing and cooking for an event they were booked to work. Owner Fred Neto said that it was a shame that this happens to a nice guy like Naresh who watches over his hotel and our neighborhood, but a positive always comes after a negative.
Turlock Inn is Turlock’s oldest hotel and has been completely renovated. Turlock Inn is located at 701 20th Century Blvd, Turlock, CA 95380. The phone number is (209) 634-3111.
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