A 56-year-old Hopewell Township man who placed a suspicious package outside the mail room at the Hopewell Gardens apartment complex at 725 Denow Road is facing multiple criminal charges, according to the Hopewell Township Police Department.
Masanoly Aiken, 56, who lives at Hopewell Gardens, has been charged with false public alarm, terroristic threats and causing or risking widespread injury or damage in connection with the incident, which was reported at 4:47 p.m. March 22, police said.
Police were sent to the age-restricted apartment complex to investigate a suspicious package that had been left outside the mail room. The cardboard package had suspicious writing on it, police said.
The east wing of the 150-unit apartment building was evacuated by Hopewell Township police, with help from Hopewell Valley Emergency Services personnel and the Pennington Fire Co. A section of Denow Road, in front of Hopewell Gardens, was closed to traffic during the investigation.
The New Jersey State Police Bomb Unit was sent to the scene to examine the package, which was found to be empty and harmless, police said.
Mercer County Sheriff’s Officer Neil Jantos and his K-9 partner swept the building as a precaution, but nothing additional was discovered. Residents were allowed to return to their apartments shortly before 7:30 p.m.
