WEST VERO CORRIDOR — Bomb squad technicians investigated a suspicious package left in a business parking lot just south of the Indian River Mall on Friday morning. Technicians inspected the item and later determined it was a toolbox left behind by a patient at New Season Treatment Center, just south of the Indian River Mall, said Capt. Joe Abollo, a spokesperson for the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office.
“It was determined that a patient from New Season placed the box there before entering the business,” said Lt. Kevin Jaworski, a spokesperson for the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office. “When the patient left, he accidentally left (the toolbox) on the side of the building.”
The two-hour incident led Indian River County deputies to briefly block off nearby roads.
“Due to the suspicious nature of where it was located, the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad responded as a precaution to assess the box,” Jaworski said.
Friday’s incident began about 11:33 a.m. when another patient from the New Season Treatment Center spotted the small, silver toolbox with a padlock in the parking lot of the facility at 6480 20th St. in West Vero’s commercial corridor. The business is located just north of Rooms to Go furniture store.
“No threats or problematic patients were reported,” Abollo said. Abollo said New Season rehabilitation clinic requires patients to place their medication inside a lock box.
The metal toolbox was on the ground on the south side of the building, Jaworski said. Bomb squad technicians safely opened the box and found three prescription medication bottles inside.
“All items were collected and will be kept in evidence until the patient can arrange to pick it up as the rehab clinic facility cannot keep it,” Abollo said.
Deputies reopened the roadways and cleared the scene by 3 p.m.
Friday’s call was not connected to Thursday’s incident of a suspicious backpack left in the parking lot of a Speedway gas station in Sebastian, Jaworski said. For that incident, St. Lucie County Bomb Squad officials detonated the backpack as a precaution.
Photos by Nick Samuel
