ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – A woman is facing charges after leaving a suspicious suitcase at the St. Petersburg Police Department headquarters Friday afternoon, triggering a bomb squad response and temporary evacuations. The suitcase was ultimately found to be empty.
According to police, the incident began at approximately 2:25 pm when a police employee noticed a suspicious vehicle parked at the loading dock of the Police Department and alerted the Watch Commander. A subsequent perimeter check by an officer located a suspicious suitcase tucked underneath a Forensics Unit van.
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Security video footage reviewed by investigators showed a woman, later identified as Rebekkah Westermeyer, 27, driving the vehicle to the loading dock. The video captured her removing a large brown suitcase from the vehicle and entering a restricted area with it by walking around a wall and under a security barrier. The suitcase was later discovered beneath the Forensics Unit van.
Out of an abundance of caution, the parking garage at the police department was blocked off, and nearby businesses to the north and east of the building were evacuated. The Tampa Bomb Squad was called to the scene to investigate the suspicious package.
While the bomb squad was en route, officers received a call at 2:49 pm regarding a person shot at an address on 4th Avenue North. Upon arrival at that location, officers encountered a woman matching the description of the suspect from the police headquarters incident. The woman barricaded herself inside an apartment. The St. Petersburg Police SWAT team responded and was able to take her into custody without incident a short time later.
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The Tampa Bomb Squad completed their examination of the suitcase and determined it was empty, posing no threat.
Rebekkah Westermeyer will face charges including Abuse of 911 and Manufacture, possession, or threatened use of a hoax weapon of mass destruction.
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