Suspicious Device in Haddon Twp. 'a Hoax,' Prosecutor's Office Says

A suspicious package discovered in the parking lot of the former Newton Diner Monday morning summoned responders from two towns and the county bomb squad, but was ultimately deemed harmless by investigators.

Camden County Prosecutor's Office spokesman Jason Laughlin told Patch in an e-mail that the bomb disposal unit arrived on the scene about 8:45 a.m. and dismantled the electronic device that had been discovered there.

"It was a hoax device," Laughlin wrote. "No explosives in it. We'll be analyzing the material to see what evidence we can get from it."

According to a statement provided by Haddon Township police, units from that department and from neighboring Oaklyn "received information that led them to the discovery of a suspicious device" that had been left in the parking lot of the former diner.

The county hazardous incident robot was sent in to examine the device, which had been placed on a stump of concrete in the center of the lot. Following that, a bomb technician inspected the device personally, and then photographed and held up a printed circuit board that had been sitting on the stump.

Authorities then deemed the scene safe, and reopened the roadways. Police say the matter is still under investigation.

Photographer Sara Langdon, whose business is located at the SoHa Arts Building adjacent to the property, said she heard a high-frequency noise when she arrived at 8:30 a.m.

"It sounded like a stereo, like something that would really annoy you," Langdon said.

"I went into the office, and I looked out of the window, and I saw six police officers gather outside the window," she said. "They all backed away, and five minutes later the fire department arrived."

Langdon said that officers on the scene advised her that she was safe but to "just stay away from the windows."

"Then it started to get a little funny," she said. "There was definitely a change in the air. The next street over, I saw them banging on doors and asking residents to leave."

Langdon said her heart was "definitely racing a little bit" as officers escorted her to her car.

The entire incident shut down the White Horse Pike and surrounding streets for approximately two hours.