Bomb Squad Responds to Homemade Bomb Threat at Oakdale Apartment Complex

A homemade bomb was discovered on the corner of 40th Street and Gershwin Avenue outside of the Geneva Village Apartments this morning.

The Oakdale Police Department responded to a report of a suspicious item at approximately 11:45 a.m. Tuesday. The caretaker of Geneva Village found the item while he was picking up trash around the grounds.

Kenny Student, the caretaker of Geneva Village, said he was picking up trash at 6 a.m. and came back around 11:45 a.m. to pick up additional trash when he found the device on the curb of Gershwin Avenue.

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Student said the item was a clear bottle with two aerosol cans taped to the sides.

"I found the object on the curb and it looked suspicious," Student told Oakdale Patch. "I've been here three years and this is one of the worst things I've found." 

The Oakdale Police Department called in the St. Paul Bomb Squad to inspect the item. The Oakdale Fire Department and the FBI also responded to the scene. 

"There was enough evidence on the scene to take extra precautions," said Michelle Stark, the community affairs officer for OPD. 

Police taped off a 50-foot parameter around the homemade bomb and alerted residents in the nearby area to stay inside their homes, Stark told Oakdale Patch at the scene. 

When the St. Paul Bomb Squad arrived they x-rayed the item and disarmed the bomb. 

The case is under investigation. 

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