Bomb squad responds to Sewickley after suspicious duffle bag spotted
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The Allegheny County Bomb Squad was dispatched to a municipal parking lot in Sewickley on Sunday night after a passerby noticed a suspicious-looking bag and called 911, according to authorities.
An x-ray of the bag’s contents by a bomb squad technician determined that it contained a portable vehicle jump-starting kit and other emergency road supplies, police said.
The bag was found near the pay kiosk in the municipal parking lot behind the Dollar Bank and Bruegger’s Bagels in the 400 block of Beaver Street. The lot is accessed by Green and Water streets.
A borough officer who arrived on scene shortly after the call 9:02 p.m. call to 911 found a black duffle bag and requested additional emergency responders after spotting what was inside, according to police Chief David Mazza.
“The officer approached the bag and was able to see a red canister that said Duracell, another metallic canister and some wiring,” Mazza said. “When we find something like that, we’re trained not to open or touch it.”
Multiple police departments responded to the scene to help cordon off the surrounding streets and Valley Ambulance was dispatched to wait on standby, the chief said.
The scene was cleared by 9:20 p.m. after the county bomb squad made an x-ray of the bag to determine that it was safe, he said.
“If I had to guess, somebody came to jump-start a vehicle and left the bag behind,” Mazza said. “It appears to be an emergency road kit with a battery to start a car, jumper cables and a fire extinguisher.”
Mazza said security video from the area will be reviewed to confirm how the bag ended up in the parking lot. There was no identification in the duffle, he said.
Mazza said while the bag turned out to be harmless, the incident serves as a reminder of the proper way to react.
“People should never hesitate to call 911 if they see something that’s out of place or looks suspicious to them,” Mazza said.