Doorstep bomb no joke

YARMOUTHPORT - Homes had to be evacuated Tuesday evening as State Troopers and local police prepared for the worst.

The call started off as a 'suspicious package' until Yarmouth Patrol Officers Mark Noone and Michael Zontini arrived and took a closer look.

On Tuesday, March 31, 2009 at approximately 8:23pm Yarmouth Police and Fire Department personal converged on the neighborhood of 11 Seminole Drive after learning that an unsolicited package along with an alarming note could potentially contain something even more threatening.

Someone had secretly placed the wooden box on the front porch of the home. The suspicious box looked like some sort of IED or roadside bomb, complete with protruding cables and threatening note.

First responders took no chances, moving all citizens safely away from the immediate area, as they awaited the bomb squad.

A Massachusetts State Police Talon robot was used to determine that the wooden box was not a bomb.

But because the package appeared particularly menacing and 'bomb like,' Yarmouth Detective Renzi initiated an investigation which will potentially yield criminal charges in the near future.

And because the 'device' appeared to have a target and its intention was likely to cause fear, both state and local police are investigating it as a bomb threat.

The police are seeking the public's assistance, and anyone with information regarding the wooden box is urged to contact Detective Renzi at 508-775-0445, extension 118.

Information and photo furnished by Yarmouth Police personel