Modesto Fire hazmat team responds after white powder dropped off at Stanislaus DA’s Office
The Modesto Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials Response Team responded to the building that houses the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office on Tuesday morning after a man dropped off a box containing white powder.
At about 11:30 a.m., a man walked into the lobby of the office on 12th Street, put a cardboard box on the counter, then left without explanation, said Modesto police Lt. Martha Delgado. She said the box was unsealed and contained several smaller packages with white powder inside.
The hazmat team, along with the Department of Environmental Resources, responded to the call. The building, which also houses a wealth management group and the county retirement association, was not evacuated, but employees were told to use a different entrance and 12th street was closed to traffic.
At about 1 p.m., members of the hazmat teams entered the building and tested the substance. It was determined to be sodium fluoroborate, a nonhazardous welding agent.
Delgado said the man who dropped off the package has been identified but officers have not spoken to him and it’s unclear if they will, since the material is not illegal.
This story was originally published November 1, 2022 at 2:28 PM.
