At 7:06 p.m. Tuesday, a deputy from the Auglaize County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on Wood Street at Cass Street in Wapakoneta. The Wapakoneta Police Department’s K-9 unit gave positive indication to the presence of illegal drugs.
While the deputy and Wapakoneta Police officer were searching the vehicle, a device resembling and explosive device was found. A perimeter was established and residents in the immediate area were evacuated. The Allen County Bomb Squad was contacted and responded. It was determined that the device was not real.
While on the scene, it was learned that a house that the maker of the fake device had access to could have had a detonator inside. Officers, deputies and the bomb squad responded to the house on Plum Street, and a search of the residence revealed no such items. Illegal drugs were found in the vehicle the deputy stopped.
The incident remains under investigation and the case will be forwarded to the Auglaize County Prosecutor to review for charges.