Bomb Squad Investigates Suspicious Item in Tarpon Springs
An all clear has been given as of approximately 12:10 p.m. following an investigation into a suspicious item
On Saturday, January 20, 2018, at approximately 8:30 a.m., a Tarpon Springs Police officer was flagged down by a U.S. Postal mail carrier. The Postal employee advised the officer that they had observed what appeared to be a suspicious device in a parking lot located at 309 E. Tarpon Ave. that possibly resembled an explosive device. The officer immediately responded to the location and located the device that was the approximate size of a football wrapped in gray tape with what appeared to be a wire protruding from one end of the device. The device was located on the ground, in the north parking lot, adjacent to a concrete parking stop.
The police department conducted evacuations of 301, 309, 313 and 315 E. Tarpon Ave. and closed E. Tarpon Ave., between Safford Avenue and Grosse Avenue, to vehicular and pedestrian traffic as a precaution and notified the Tampa Bay Area Regional Bomb Squad.
The bomb squad responded to the location at approximately 11:00 a.m. and examined the device. At approximately 12:00 p.m. the determination was made that the device contained sand and the protruding wire was fashioned into a handle to pick up and carry the object. The Investigation yielded that the object was made by a previous tenant of the location.
The evacuated occupants of the aforementioned locations were allowed to return to their homes and E. Tarpon Ave. was opened to vehicular and pedestrian traffic at approximately 12:10 p.m..