Sunset Place mall evacuated in bomb scare | Miami Herald

Part of Sunset Place mall in South Miami was temporarily evacuated Friday afternoon before a bomb squad cleared a suspicious package from a nearby street.

Two maintenance workers reported seeing a man walk up to a planter along Southwest 57th Avenue, put a black leather book bag inside, and walk away about 4:30 p.m., acting South Miami Police Chief Rene Landa said.

The Miami-Dade bomb squad used a robot to remove the package but had not yet determined what was inside, Landa said.

X-rays did not reveal what was inside the book bag so the bomb squad team blew it up with a water cannon at about 6 p.m.

Officers evacuated buildings along 57th Avenue and closed the street between South Dixie Highway and Sunset Drive.