Suspicious package found in Middleborough mailbox; State Police bomb squad called in

MIDDLEBOROUGH, Mass. — The State Police bomb squad was called in after a suspicious package was discovered in a mailbox on Wareham Street in Middleborough on Wednesday morning.

“Yeah this is the stuff you kind of see in the movies like ‘Hurt Locker,’” said Tyler Mathena, who lives next door.

But this was no movie, neighbors say. Emergency vehicles and police showed up after the woman who found that package called them.

“The fire engine pulled up, the cruiser pulled up, then a cruiser pulled up and blocked off the street, and then they put tape out,” said Kyle Phillips, who was working on the driveway of the house across the street.

Phillips was working across the street and says the device was small – about the size of a battery.

“Somebody made it, taped it and made it look with wires, and they made it really look like a bomb,” said Phillips.

Before the bomb technician went to look at it, he says they sent a robot.

“It was a robot. It had tracks and this one arm come up with little fingers and then it had the camera,” said Phillips.

Mathena, who shot video of the scene, says right after that a bomb tech moved in.

“The guy in the full juggernaut suit in a helmet and he’s all decked out like he’s in a war zone,” said Mathena.

Next, the tech disassembled the device.

“It was shiny. It was like this way, and when they took it all apart, and the guy took three pieces out and laid them on the ground,” said Phillips

In the end, fire officials tell Boston 25 the device was not a real explosive. State Police determined it was the internals of a vape pen.

Phillips says he’s glad they took precautions just in case.

“They did a good job doing what they did because if that was something, that would have been bad.”

Once the device was taken apart, police searched for fingerprints trying to figure out if this was random and find who left that package in the mailbox.

Police tell us the incident remains under investigation.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW

©2022 Cox Media Group