All clear given after suspicious package found in downtown Miami parking garage prompts street closures - WSVN 7News
MIAMI (WSVN) - Police have given the all clear after they spent several hours investigating a suspicious package found in a parking garage in downtown Miami that led to street closures and prevented residents of at least one high-rise from going home.
According to City of Miami Police, someone reported a suspicious package at 650 NE 2nd Ave., Wednesday night.
Officers temporarily shut down vehicular and pedestrian traffic from Northeast First to Second avenues and between Northeast Seventh and Eighth streets, a block from the Kaseya Center on Biscayne Boulevard.
The Miami Police Bomb Squad arrived at the garage where the suspicious package was located.
Police urged the public to avoid the area and for residents who live near the garage to stay inside their homes until further notice.
Among them were Will Kepler and Raphaela Silva.
"Coming home from work, tried to get through, the street was closed," said Kepler.
Silva told 7News she'd been waiting for an hour to get back inside her apartment building.
"I actually, like, I live with a roommate, and she texts me, like, 'cause she was coming home a few minutes before me, and she got stuck as well," she said.
"[I] got the messages from the building; we had to park far away," said Kepler. "Since then, everything has transpired — the fire trucks came, bomb sqaud came. We don't know what's going on."
When asked what the messages from his apartment community said, Kepler replied, "There were hazardous materials in the parking garage."
"When I got here, I talked to the police officer, and he just told me what was happening and said we would wait for at least one to three hours," said Silva.
The management of Bezel Apartments near the area of the police activity sent a text message to residents informing them of the investigation.
"Dear Bezel Residents, please be advised that due to a safety concern in the MWC parking garage, all four elevators are currently parked at the lobby level. The local authorities have made the decision to involve the fire department, which has resulted in the temporary shutdown of our elevators. Until further notice, if you need to leave the building, please use the staircase. Do not enter into MWC's garage. We will restore the elevator service as soon as we receive guidance from the local authorities that the safety issues in the garage has been resolved. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and will keep you updated."
Police said the bomb squad checked the package and there was nothing suspicious inside after all.
Just before 11 p.m., the scene was cleared, and police and fire rescue crews left.
