MIAMI (WSVN) - The Bomb Squad has declared a suspicious package found at a Miami condominium complex to be safe.
City of Miami Police responded to the scene near Bayshore Drive and Northeast 15th Street at around 2 p.m. after receiving a report of a suspicious package in a car parked in the parking garage at the Venetia Condo.
“We did receive some information about a suspicious package,” City of Miami Police Commander Freddie Cruz said. “Our bomb technicians did come out to the scene. They did a very thorough investigation, very lengthy in nature. However, safety is paramount, and we have now deemed this scene safe, and there were no explosives found here, and no one was injured.”
While they investigated, crews shut down the area, including the Venetian Causeway in both directions. The causeway has since reopened.
Please be advised that the entrance/exit to the Venetian Causeway has temporarily been shut down. Avoid the area of North Bayshore Drive and 15th Street until further notice. @MiamiBeachPD pic.twitter.com/cW2gvhsMiV
— Miami PD (@MiamiPD) January 13, 2021
Authorities sent two robots into the garage. Detectives said they evacuated the first floor of the condo building due to their investigation.
“Why this building? You tell me,” a woman said. “It is residences inside of the building. Why not let them in? What’s the difference between the residences in the building to us? We’ve been waiting here for nearly four hours to get in.”
Investigators kept people from going in and out of the area for several hours after they received the tip.
“Equipment that may have looked to be devices utilized for some sort of bombs,” Cruz said. “I can say that all that was clear, and there was nothing that was used for an explosive or any material that would have been used to formulate a bomb.”
Detectives would not clarify if the vehicle parked in the lower level belonged to someone who lives in the building. As of Wednesday night, they are trying to reach the vehicle’s owner.
“I can say that this investigation is still ongoing,” Cruz said. “There are still a lot of moving parts, and we will be updating everyone. As of right now, I cannot confirm that there is going to be an arrest made, but I will confirm this is not the end of the investigation.”
Several law enforcement agencies were involved in Wednesday’s investigation, including the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Miami-Dade Police.
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