Suspicious item prompts investigation at Modesto’s Vintage Faire Mall

Modesto police cordoned off several doors to the Vintage Faire Mall and evacuated one store after a man left flammable material near a propane tank inside the mall Friday morning, authorities said.

The suspect was seen on surveillance cameras leaving a piece of cardboard wet with accelerant near a propane tank outside of the administrative offices, said Modesto police spokeswoman Heather Graves. A bottle of accelerant also was left at the site. She did not say what kind of accelerant was used.

She said the man arrived at the mall in a Ford Explorer that was stolen in Scotts Valley in Santa Cruz County. He was detained by mall security and was being questioned by Modesto police Friday afternoon.

Nearby Abercrombie & Fitch was evacuated. Cal-Time owner Hamlet Genja said police also “quietly” cleared his business two doors down, as well as a hat store, Lids.

Employee access doors on the second story of the north side of the mall that lead to those stores and the administrative offices were cordoned off while deputies from the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department’s bomb squad checked the area.

A southern entrance next to Starbucks was also closed and crime scene tape surrounded several rows of parking in front of it where the stolen car was parked. The bomb squad used a robot to check the car.

Officers cleared the scene at about 4 p.m.

No information about the suspect was available late Friday afternoon, including his age, city of residence or the charges he is facing.

This story was originally published March 11, 2016 at 1:13 PM with the headline "Suspicious item prompts investigation at Modesto’s Vintage Faire Mall."