Suspicious package found, blown up in downtown Chapel Hill

A witness saw a white man who appeared to be about 20 to 25 years old place a small package in the middle of East Rosemary Street near Henderson Street, behind the post office and courthouse, shortly before 6:30 p.m. and walk away in a suspicious manner, police said.

The man left the area in a light-colored Volkswagen Jetta, police said.

Chapel Hill officers cordoned off blocks around the scene and called the Durham County Sheriff’s Office bomb squad to investigate the package, first with a robot and then with a deputy wearing a protective suit.

The area was blocked off to pedestrians and vehicles for about four hours during the investigation.

Deputies found two boxes, one inside the other, and destroyed both in place.

Chapel Hill police asked that anyone with information about the case  to contact them.