Suspicious package prompts evacuation, shutdown of railroad

It’s been four months since the notorious bombings up the road in Austin, but the lesson of “if you see something, say something,” was apparently well-learned here in San Marcos.

Though it turned out to be harmless, a suspicious package found near an apartment complex on Mill Street Monday launched a full-scale response, including the evacuation of an unknown number of apartment residents and the cessation of traffic on the Union Pacific railroad track.

Police from San Marcos and Austin, San Marcos firefighters and the Austin Police Department’s Bomb Squad responded after a resident of the Copper Beech Apartments at 1701 Mill Street became suspicious of a package that was said to be on the railroad tracks behind the complex.

The city said in a press release that the object’s “appearance and placement” prompted authorities to seek assistance. Building #24 at Copper Beach as well as an apartment at 1640 Post Road were evacuated as a precaution.

The bomb squad and investigators from Union Pacific were on scene by 7:30 p.m. and set up a nearby command post. The press release, which noted “no additional details” would be released “to preserve the integrity of any additional witness information” that may be forthcoming, said the object was rendered safe at 10:13 p.m. At that time, the railroad tracks were reopened for traffic. The release did not say if the apartment residents had to wait that long to go back to their homes or if they were allowed back in earlier.

“The item was found in an area commonly used for illegal dumping,” the city said, adding that police will follow up on any leads regarding the item or who put it there.

In the days and weeks following the Austin bombings in March, local agencies responded to a number of calls about suspicious packages, all of which were unfounded. By March 21, San Marcos Police had responded to 15 calls for suspicious packages while the Hays County Sheriff’s Office responded to 31. Kyle Police had nearly 20.

Two people were killed and five injured in the series of bombing between March 2 and 20. The suspect in the case blew himself up as police closed in on him.