It all started when an exterminator smelled natural gas while spraying behind an Exxon gas station at 6901 Louisburg Road in Raleigh. When a worker with the gas company came to repair the gas leak, he spotted something strange.
"We found a suspicious object by the gas leak that appeared to be a pipe bomb," said Milad Ehsan, the owner of the Exxon gas station.
The owner called 911.
When Wake County Sheriff deputies arrived and blocked Fox Road and Louisburg Road as well as Highway 401 for several miles from Spring Forest Road to Perry Creek Road. Authorities also called in the bomb squad.
There are several subdivisions surrounding the gas station, but none of the homeowners were asked to evacuate their houses.
After getting a closer look at the object, investigators determined that the object was a fake or hoaxed device that contained no explosive material.
"Someone attempted to try to make a bomb," Ehsan said. "But they knew what they were doing so it wouldn't be detonated or anything like that...I don't know what the deal is, but that's nothing to joke around about, especially these days."
Investigators reopened the roads and Highway 401 after about 45 minutes.
They also pulled videotape from the gas station's security cameras to try to determine who placed the object by the gas station and why.
"It's really nerve-wracking," Ehsan said.
Right now, authorities said, there are no suspects in the case.
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