Rotting Fruit Prompts Evacuation in San Rafael

A suspicious package that prompted a building to be evacuated and a bomb squad to respond turned out to be a box of rotten fruit, San Rafael police said.

The incident was reported Tuesday morning at an office complex off Smith Ranch Road in San Rafael's Terra Linda area.

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Responding officers detected an unusual odor, prompting the evacuation of the building. The UC Berkeley bomb squad was called to the scene and it was later determined the package contained nearly 20 pounds of rotting fruit.

Police said the rotting fruit has been removed and emergency crews cleared the scene around 1:30 p.m.

HAPPENING NOW - SRPD AND SRFD INVESTIGATING SUSPICIOUS PACKAGE INCIDENT:

The San Rafael Police and Fire Departments are currently at an office complex located off of Smith Ranch Road in San Rafael’s Terra Linda area. The building has been evacuated due to a suspicious package… pic.twitter.com/vNaButeR2f
— San Rafael Police Department (@SanRafaelPolice) May 2, 2023

UPDATE - SUSPICIOUS PACKAGE DETERMINED TO BE ROTTEN FRUIT:

Just before 1:30 PM, the UC Berkeley Police Bomb Squad inspected what was originally reported as a suspicious package with a methane/rotten egg smell. Bomb Squad Officers found the box contained close to 20 pounds of… pic.twitter.com/D9o6N0zFHO
— San Rafael Police Department (@SanRafaelPolice) May 2, 2023