Access to downtown Wenatchee was closed off as Wenatchee Police investigated a fake pipe bomb near the Wenatchee Convention Center Saturday morning.

Around 11 a.m., Wenatchee Police Department closed off access to First Street and North Wenatchee Avenue to investigate a suspicious item left near the fountain.

“It was a small object wrapped in tape with some wires exposed, which we’ve seen before,” Wenatchee Police Capt. Edgar Reinfeld said. 

Reinfeld said the item could be easily mistaken as a pipe bomb, but investigators on the scene confirmed that it was not explosive.

Investigators will be checking camera footage from the scene to find who was behind this incident to ensure that these false alarms don’t happen again.

“They’re very disruptive and they cause unnecessary fear for folks,” Capt. Reinfeld said.

The area was reopened by 1:30 p.m.

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