Suspicious package in Linden has residents evacuated ‘for a considerable time’

LINDEN — The investigation into a suspicious package on W. St. George Avenue has caused road closures and the evacuation of two apartment buildings. Update: Authorities say the item was a decoy, made to look like dynamite.

Lt. Christopher Guenther of the Linden Police Department said authorities were alerted to the package at 6 p.m. It was located shortly afterward and the area was cleared, he said. The street was closed between North Stiles and Ross Streets and two apartment buildings in the area were evacuated, Guenther said.

Guenther said the Union County Bomb Squad responded to the scene and that the investigation is ongoing. He said the public is encouraged to stay clear of the area "until further notice."

At just after 8:45 p.m. the department said the "device" had been "disrupted," by the bomb squad. Police did not say whether it contained explosives.

When residents asked on the department's Facebook page when they would be allowed to return home they were told "We will will get people back to their residences as soon as possible, but we expect it to be a considerable time before that happens."

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Contact reporter Adam Hochron at 609-359-5326 or Adam.Hochron@townsquaremedia.com