Bomb scare on Riverdale Avenue

Updated at 6:45 p.m.

A fake bomb found in the apartment of a robbery suspect prompted authorities to shut down two blocks of Riverdale Avenue for about an hour today.

Authorities reopened the street after members of an NYPD bomb squad determined the device to be fake, according to Capt. Terence O’Toole, the commanding officer of the 50th Precinct.

Police had been looking for evidence from a bank robbery this afternoon when they found an object resembling a bomb inside the 5993 Riverdale Ave. apartment.

“He has been arrested for a hoax device in the past, but we have to take precautions,” Capt. O’Toole said of the suspect. The commanding officer declined to state the man’s name.

Until about 6 p.m., at least five first responder vehicles idled on the street. An NYPD strategic response group, FDNY personnel and officers from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were on the scene along with a bomb squad from Manhattan.

Capt. O’Toole said after a robbery at the 5671 Riverdale Ave. CitiBank around 1 p.m., police conducted an intensive search of the area and apprehended a suspect. The captain added the suspect was one of the men authorities have arrested for a recent string of six robberies, although police are still determing who is responsible for which crimes. Over the past several days, the targets included a Verizon Wireless Store and Subway sandwich shop on Riverdale Avenue as well as the European Wax Center at 3550 Johnson Ave.

During questioning at the 50th Precinct, the suspect did not indicate there might be a bomb in his apartment, Capt. O’Toole said.

“We were looking for evidence – proceeds of the bank robbery, a red sweater” when officers found an object resembling a bomb around 4:45 p.m., the commanding officer said.

The bomb scare and recent robberies rattled people living and working in the vicinity.

“It’s very scary, because I stay by myself all afternoon,” said Ruth Tzanetatos, the manager of Noni’s Restaurant at 5921 Riverdale Ave.