A possible explosive device found during a probation search Tuesday night in Santa Maria ended up being inert, Santa Maria police said Wednesday.
Officers were conducting a probation search of a residence in the 300 block of North Miller Street at 11 p.m. Tuesday when they found a possible explosive device inside a garage, Lt. Dan Cohen said.
“In an abundance of caution, officers backed out of the residence and began to take precautionary measures to protect neighbors in the area,” Cohen said in a news release.
Some neighbors evacuated their homes while others chose to shelter in place.
Police officers blocked off traffic in the area while they awaited the arrival of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department Bomb Squad.
Police Lt. Marc Schneider said Wednesday morning the item ended up being inert.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.