Suspicious package found at UD was a homemade battery

A suspicious package that caused road closures and areas of the University of Delaware to be cordoned off Friday morning turned out to be nothing more than a homemade battery, officials said.

The device, which UD police described as PVC pipe with end caps and electrical tape, became a concern when found in the back of a trash truck along Haines Street Friday, school officials said.

University police were contacted and officers secured the area and contacted the Delaware State Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal team. The area was cordoned off and occupants of nearby buildings were notified to stay indoors and away from windows.

Newark officials also said several roads were closed in the area of South Chapel Street, Haines Street, Benny Street, Chambers Street and Lovett Avenue.

A state police bomb robot took X-rays of the device, then opened it.

Police issued an alert at 9:25 a.m. advised the community that police were "disposing of the package and you may hear a loud noise."

UD Police Chief Patrick Ogden said K-9 units trained in detecting explosives would be checking the campus to make sure everything is safe – as a precautionary measure.

By early afternoon, university officers explained to the community of the police findings.

"University of Delaware Police have concluded their investigation into the suspicious package found on campus this morning," said Andrea Boyle Tippett, a UD spokeswoman. "It revealed the item was a homemade [battery]. Police do not believe there was any malicious intent behind its placement in the trash."

While the package turned out to not be a malicious item, Tippett said the university will always err on the side of caution.

"We want our community to take comfort in the fact that we will take every step possible to ensure safety on campus," she said. "Not only did UD Police think the package was suspicious, state police bomb disposal experts thought so too and went about disassembling it with a robot."

STORY: 18-year-old injured in Wilmington shooting

STORY: 11 injured in school bus crash near Felton

Contact Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299, eparra@delawareonline.com or Twitter @eparra3.