Toyota: Indiana plant is fourth company site in 4 states targeted by mailed fake bombs

Toyota sites in 4 states target of bomb hoaxes

INDIANAPOLIS — A fake bomb that prompted the evacuation of a southern Indiana post office Tuesday was the fourth since Friday sent to Toyota Motor Corp.’s U.S. headquarters and production plants in three states, a company spokesman said.

The package addressed to Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana in Princeton was discovered Tuesday morning at the local post office and led to its evacuation before a bomb technician determined it was harmless, authorities said.

It bore a handwritten originating address from Nigeria, just like the other three packages, said Gibson County Chief Deputy Sheriff George Ballard.

The company does not know the motive for the hoaxes.

“We have no idea. We’re not speculating,” Toyota spokeswoman Kelly Dillon said.

The package was a cardboard tube about 4 inches long and 1½ inches wide, and contained electronic parts, Ballard said. He said he was unaware of any note included in the package.

A Toyota employee alerted postal authorities when he found the package with the plant’s other mail Tuesday, Dillon said.

“This package is similar to other suspicious packages mailed to our corporate office in Erlanger, Kentucky, on Friday and our West Virginia and Texas plants on Monday. All of these packages were found to be non-threatening,” Dillon said.

She didn’t know whether post offices near other Toyota facilities have been alerted to watch for similar packages.

The Princeton incident is being investigated by the FBI, the Indiana State Police and the postal inspector in Evansville, state police spokesman Sgt. Todd Ringle said. He said he could not discuss details of the investigation.

The Princeton plant assembles Highlander and Sequoia sport utility vehicles, while the San Antonio plant turns out trucks. The company’s plant in Buffalo, W.Va., produces engines and transmissions.

Toyota also has major U.S. production plants in Georgetown, Ky., and Huntsville, Ala., Dillon said.