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‘Suspicious’ water bottle shuts down streets in downtown Albuquerque

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Albuquerque police are calling the incident that shut down all roads surrounding the District Courthouse Wednesday, “a perfect storm of coincidence.”

According to the Albuquerque Police Department, the area was shut down around noon Wednesday due to a suspicious device that was found nearby.

APD now says the Water Authority was conducting a test in the area that resulted in “smoke” coming from a manhole. Police say a man who noticed the smoke and was trying to help then placed a water bottle on top of the manhole cover.

The incident escalated when another person saw the man put down the water bottle and leave, saw the smoke, and contacted authorities.

Police say they located and questioned the man who left his water bottle in the street, and the situation has now been resolved.

“Unfortunately, it is what it is. It’s an individual trying to do the right thing,” said Officer Tanner Tixier. “And just happened to put a bottle down on top off a smoking manhole cover and witnesses thought it was something more,” he explained.