By John Woodrow Cox, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, January 20, 2011
BROOKSVILLE -- Authorities exploded a suspicious package outside the PetLuv store on Broad Street Thursday morning, forcing several neighboring businesses to close for several hours.
Employees saw a light brown briefcase partially hidden behind a trash can outside the store around 8 a.m. and called the Hernando County Sheriff's Office, officials said.
Several agencies, including the state Fire Marshal's Office in Tampa and the Tampa Bay regional bomb squad responded. Using a robotic device, officials exploded the briefcase when they were unable to open it.
The contents were not suspicious, officials said.