Crime & Safety

UPDATE: No Explosives Found at South Hills Village

Patch interviews person who saw a man get taken into custody at Red Robin.

Bethel Park police evacuated South Hills Village mall, Carmike 10 and surrounding restaurants Sunday night after a man claimed he had bomb-making material in his briefcase.

South Hills Village released the following statement at 10:30 p.m. Sunday:

The local authorities have confirmed that there is no longer a threat, and the mall is now safe for our customers, tenants and employees. We will re-open for business tomorrow at 10 a.m., regular business hours.

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A man went into Barnes & Noble around 6:15 p.m. Sunday and stated he had bomb-making material in his briefcase. Two customers overheard the 70-year-old man and called police, according to WTAE.

The man left and went into Red Robin, where customers said he was acting strangely.

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Jeremy Simpson, 36, of Mt. Lebanon, was inside of the restaurant next to the mall's food court when three police officers came inside of Red Robin and removed an older man, a briefcase and a duffel bag, he said.

"The man was seated by himself, wearing a T-shirt, sweatpants and sneakers," Simpson said. "(The bags) were in the booth next to him," Simpson said of the older man. "The officers handled the bags themselves."

Simpson, who was at the restaurant with his wife and two children celebrating his daughter's birthday, said that police took the man outside before he lost sight of what was happening.

Nevertheless, his family and the rest of the restaurant's patrons were escorted by police through the mall and exited the mall between Barnes & Noble and Dick's Sporting Goods.

"We waited around for a while after that," Simpson said. "Nobody was making a statement, but probably about 10 police cars showed up. So we just went home."

WTAE reporter Bob Hazen tweeted a photo of the briefcase in question, after investigators determined no explosives were inside.

Police vehicles and tow trucks were blocking the entrances to the mall throughout Sunday evening and night.

South Hills Village mall closes for customers at 6 p.m. on Sundays and Barnes & Noble closes at 8 p.m. Sundays.

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