Bomb Squad Called Twice for Suspicious Items in Watertown, Including Hollowed out Fireworks

Small sections of town shut down briefly on Wednesday so bomb squads could investigate suspicious items found on the streets of Watertown. 

The town remains at a heightened alert following last week's shoot outs with the Boston Marathon Bombing suspects, one of which included pipe bombs being thrown from the suspects' vehicle.

First, around 4 p.m. Wednesday the area near Francis Food Mart on Belmont Street on the Westside of Watertown was closed when fireworks were found in a bag left in a clothing donation bin.

Michael Tambosi, manager of Planet Aid - the group which collects the clothes, told WBZ-TV he saw what appeared to be four or five big fireworks with the gunpowder removed. He also saw what appeared to be a wick, so he called police.

“We called them because we thought if there is a one percent chance that this could be related to the incidents last week, then we will do all we can,” Tambosi told WBZ.

Then at about 5 p.m., an item was found lodged between a tree and a fence in front of a home at Middlesex Avenue and Common Street, across from Watertown High School. Common Street was closed during rush hour off while an ATF bomb squad looked at the item, which appeared to be a laptop bag. 

A State Trooper on the scene told residents that the item likely would not have raised concerns prior to the Boston Marathon Bombings, but now everything is being taken seriously.

The item on Middlesex Avenue was determined not to be a threat.

Watertown Police Chief Edward Deveau told the Town Council Wednesday night that crews have done their best to remove any explosive items, bullets or any other dangerous items from the scene of the shootout at Dexter Avenue and Laurel Street, and on Franklin Street, where the second bombing suspect was found hiding in a boat.

"Those two areas have been thoroughly swept, and I've been back over there yesterday and nothing is left," Deveau said. "But we could have missed something. As residents go back into their yards and start gardening, if they find anything suspicious call us immediately and we will come down."

Franklin Street remains closed while investigators go through the area where Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was captured, Deveau said. While the investigation continues, he said, the State Police will assist Watertown Police in patrolling town, he said.

(Note, this story has been corrected. The previous version incorrectly identfied Michael Tambosi as owner of Francis Food Mart.)

See all of Patch's coverage of the Boston Marathon Bombing and Manhunt here.