No charges filed in suspicious suitcase incident

UPDATE: Police said no charges will be filed after a homeless man left two suitcases next to a building in downtown Cedar Rapids, a decision that led to a bomb squad response and the evacuation of dozens of people.

Authorities from several agencies responded after the unattended suitcases were reported around 7:05 a.m. Friday at the Human Services Campus, 317 Seventh Ave. SE. The pull-behind suitcases were left next to a concrete pillar on the northwest corner of the newly constructed building.

Cedar Rapids police Sgt. Cristy Hamblin said the suitcases contained clothing and other personal items. She said the 59-year-old man, whose name was not released, told investigators he left the suitcases behind Thursday afternoon because he was tired of carrying them.

After all the commotion, he got his suitcases back, police said.

Dozens of people watched as bomb squad technicians slowly maneuvered a robot across railroad tracks toward the dark-colored suitcases. The robot, which has audio and visual capabilities, captured X-rays and determined the suitcases were safe to move.

In the meantime, Hamblin said witnesses helped connect the homeless man to the suitcases, and his picture was circulated to officers. She said officials stayed on alert because the man, who was not well-known to local police, had a criminal history.

(story continues below photo gallery)

[nggallery id=621]

By 10:40 a.m., police confirmed they had detained a “person of interest” in the investigation at the corner of 16th Street and B Avenue NE.

Paul Wilhelmi, 26, of Atkins, said police stopped two trains that were approaching the Seventh Avenue SE crossing from opposite directions, as the bomb squad was setting up. He and others watched from the sidewalk near Terry-Durin Company, where he works.

“There are a lot of homeless people (in the area),” Wilhelmi said. “That's the first thing that came to my mind, is someone probably left something behind.”

About 120 employees from 13 non-profit agencies are housed on the Human Services Campus. Less than 10 had arrived to work when the evacuation orders were given, officials said.

Lois Buntz, president and CEO of the United Way of East Central Iowa, said employees had questions as they arrived for work.

“They were concerned,” Buntz said. “Everyone wanted as much information as possible.”

Police thought everyone was evacuated from the building and several surrounding businesses along Seventh Avenue, but around 11 a.m., a man emerged from the building where the suitcases were found. Two police officers confronted him immediately, and asked who he was and where he was coming from.

Bill Tarbox, 67, of Cedar Rapids, told them he was an accountant for Neighborhood Transportation Service and had been working since 6:30 a.m. He works part-time and was leaving for a meeting, he said.

Tarbox said he hadn't noticed any commotion from his cubicle. After a short conversation with police, he kept walking to his van.

“When I got up to leave, I went out and noticed the Girl Scouts place was closed and there were no cars around,” Tarbox said.

Police did not go inside to search the building for people or suspicious items, Hamblin said.

“We had assumed that they internally had taken care of things,” Hamblin said. “It was a lesson learned for us.”

Several streets in the area were shut down, including all lanes of busy Eighth Avenue SE, between Third Street and Fifth Street SE. All were back open around 12:20 p.m., and employees were allowed to return to all the evacuated areas.

Steve Dummermuth, manager of D&S Property Management, which operates the Human Services Campus, said no surveillance cameras were installed to watch outside the building when it was constructed last year. He said that decision may be re-evaluated.

Dummermuth watched from about a block away, as curious as the other onlookers.

“Everyone's nerves are raw right now with the September 11th (anniversary) coming up,” Dummermuth said. “My initial thought was that this was an over-reaction, but you have to take these things seriously.”

[mqMap showScale="true" key="AY6x" width="485" height="440" src="http://www.mapquest.com/embed?icid=mqdist_mb_wp&c=AY6x&maptype=map&zoom=15¢er=41.974989286809716,-91.66190186508175&projection=sm&showScale=true"/>