Police destroyed a suspicious briefcase that was left in the parking lot of an area strip mall Wednesday.

Springettsbury Township Police were called to 2420 Eastern Boulevard at about 1 p.m. after a patron called to report that a briefcase had been left in the parking lot about 100 feet north of Superpetz, said Chief Dave Eshbach.

Officers responded and confirmed the briefcase was sitting there for no reason.

"Anytime there's a package left anywhere, if there's not a very apparent reason for it sitting there, we treat it as suspicious until we learn otherwise," Eshbach said.

The state police bomb unit was called in to disable the briefcase, Eshbach said, declining to note how it was disabled but noting that the briefcase was destroyed.

Eshbach said the contents of the briefcase were not dangerous, but he declined to say what was inside.

There was nothing that would identify an owner, he said.

Eshbach said he's not sure whether the case was left behind inadvertantly by its owner, or if someone was looking for a show "because they knew in this day and age ... the kind of response that you get" by leaving a briefcase unattended.

The parking lot was closed off until the briefcase was destroyed.

Eshbach said the inconvenience was worth ensuring that people were safe.


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