Possible explosive device found at local hotel defused

UPDATE @1:45 p.m.

Investigators have detonated a possible explosive device found in a Vandalia hotel room.

Vandalia Lt. Ben Walker said someone found a device in a room at Hawthorn Suites in Vandalia and brought it to the front desk.

“They found it apparently in their room behind a curtain, Walker said. “The guest had actually taken the package up to the front desk to the clerk to show to them. They put it aside behind the business to get it outside.”

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The hotel contacted police, who called the Dayton Bomb Squad after arriving on scene.

“Dayton Bomb Squad comes out on any package like that,” said Walker. “They’re specially trained to handle it.”

The device was taken off site and detonated. Walker said its contents will be analyzed to determine what exactly it was.

Police on scene had earlier said the device was explosive.

Due to the ongoing investigation, Walker was unable to describe the device.

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He also said that they are not sure when the package was put in the room.

“It could’ve been there several guests ago,” Walker said. “If a cleaning crew didn’t look specifically in that area they wouldn’t have found it. Right now we’ll be collecting names of people who have stayed in the hotel over a period of time and go from there.”

UPDATE @ 12:50 p.m.

Investigators have confirmed that an explosive device was found at a Vandalia hotel.

The device has been defused and is being taken to another location to detonated.

UPDATE @ 12:25 p.m. 

The Dayton Police Bomb Squad is currently investigating a suspicious device at the Hawthorne Suites hotel in Vandalia.

According to Vandalia police, a guest at the hotel reported the suspicious device which prompted the police response. Poe Avenue is still closed near the hotel and we will continue to update this story with the latest details.

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FIRST REPORT:

Poe Avenue is closed and a Dayton Bomb Squad vehicle is on the scene at Hawthorn Suites in Vandalia.

Additional details about the incident were not immediately available, however dispatch records indicated it involved a “fire related incident.”

The incident is reportedly in the 7000 block of Poe and was ongoing around 11:45 a.m.

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