A slew of suspicious devices and packages in many cities

Authorities in four cities checked Monday for information about suspicious devices or packages. They were widespread – in Pasadena, California, Billings, Montana, Bend, Oregon, and New York. All proved to be false alarms.

But the increase in these incidents comes shortly after the delivery to President Trump's critics last week and Monday of at least 15 suspicious devices. The suspect in the case, Cesar Sayoc, appeared for the first time in court on Monday.

Here are the incidents of Monday:

Pasadena

Authorities checked a suspicious package and vehicle at a U-Haul facility and evacuated the area, CBS Los Angeles reported.

The Pasadena police responded to a parcel appeal around 5:45 pm They also spotted a suspicious vehicle nearby.

A bomb squad robot from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department was seen near several trailers in the parking lot.

Many surrounding streets have been closed and nearby businesses, including hotels, have been cleaned. The media was kept at 3,000 feet and the police command post was located several blocks away.

The Gold Line commuter train service has been discontinued as the tracks are parallel to the rental center. As a precaution, part of a nearby highway was closed in both directions.

It was not clear immediately why the package or vehicle was considered suspicious. The package was first seen by U-Haul employees.

Later, the police chief of Pasadena said that the robot had tried to explode the device but that there had been no explosion. It looks like it was designed to look like a 6 to 8 inch homemade bomb, but it was apparently a fake.

The authorities announced that they would let people come back after confirming that there were no more devices in the area.

The police were trying to find whoever had planted the device.

Billings

Police blew up a suspicious tote and a second explosive-like device on Monday night in front of KTVQ-TV studios, a CBS affiliate, the channel said.

Both objects were left outside a side entrance of the building by an unidentified man in the afternoon, KTQV reports.

Neither one nor the other was found as a real explosive, no one was evacuated and no property was damaged.

But police blocked the area for about two hours while she was bringing the mine clearance team.

They used a bomb robot to blow up the plastic tote around 8:30 pm. It contained old clothes, a computer keyboard and other randomly matched items.

The second device was wrapped in electrical tape, wires and what appeared to be batteries and a timer, according to Information Director Jon Stepanek, who spoke for the first time with the unidentified man and saw the devices.

Billings Police Sgt. Jason Gartner said the package and the second aircraft appeared to be a "scare tactic" designed to "disrupt new operations".

"There were components on the outside of the device that appeared to be IEE compatible components," Gartner told Q2 News. This device was dismounted on site, he said.

"It's hard to say what are the intentions of who did it, but again, I think the intentions are to sound the alarm and put people uncomfortable and uncomfortable. with the recent events that have unfolded nationwide, it's hard to say if that's what motivated an individual to do something like that or not, "Gartner said.

Billings police arrived at the scene around 6:30 pm and called the bomb team. When the team blew up the box, employees were directed to the basement and a separate wing of the building for security reasons.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the FBI are participating in the investigation, and the suspect has not been identified.

Bend, Oregon

Police were called to an intersection where someone found an object that looked like a home-made bomb Monday night, and police called the state police's anti-bomb brigade. Oregon since Salem, reported KTVZ-TV.

The station said the device was safe a few hours later and viewers later told it that the device looked like a device used by electricians in electric safes.

The device has been reported to Salem for further evaluation.

New York City

Investigators were summoned Monday night at the New York Times, central headquarters of downtown Manhattan, when a suspicious package was spotted, CBS News said.

According to sources quoted by the New York Daily News, the package was a "Manila envelope with flag stamps" and was full of papers.

The authorities reportedly said that Sayoc used kraft paper envelopes with flag stamps to send his homemade bombs to the gun.