Cedar Park Homes Evacuated For Suspicious Package That Turned Out To Be Harmless [UPDATED]

CEDAR PARK, TX -- Police evacuated several homes along Brashear Lane Tuesday afternoon after someone called 911 to report a suspicious package -- a black box with a cell phone in a home's front yard.

It turned out to be just that -- a box with a cell phone in it, along with laser survey equipment, tools of a trade rather than tools of terror.

Before the package was found to be harmless, members of the Austin Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety bomb squads joined Cedar Park Police in the investigation. They arrived at about 5:30 p.m., according to various media reports, including KVUE-TV and the Austin American-Statesman.

By ten minutes before 9 p.m., the neighborhood was given the all-clear. The box contained nothing harmful, law enforcement officials determined, and residents were allowed back into their homes.

Almost concurrently, other members of the Austin Police Department descended on Congress Avenue in downtown Austin, where they evacuated an entire building after getting reports of a suspicious package containing a white, powdery substance.

Northbound and southbound lanes of Congress Avenue were closed off as police investigated that scene, right around the time of the afternoon rush hour.

Ultimately, that package -- like the mysterious black box with a cell phone and laser survey equipment -- turned out to be benign.

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From earlier:

CEDAR PARK, TX -- Several homes have been evacuated after a resident called police to report a suspicious package, according to new reports.

KVUE-TV reports the package was reported near Giddens Elementary School.

Patch will provide further details as they become available.