Valley Falls man accused of leaving suspicious bag near NYS Capitol, prompting evacuation
21
ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A Valley Falls man was arrested on Saturday after allegedly leaving a suspicious bag near the State Capitol and prompting an evacuation, according to New York State Police. Taylor Houlihan, 32, has been charged with second-degree falsely reporting an incident.
At around 1:10 p.m. on Saturday, State Police of the Capitol responded to a report of a person behaving suspiciously and leaving a backpack in the area of a scheduled and organized protest in West Capitol Park. Authorities located and identified the person as Houlihan, police said.
During an interview, Houlihan broadly stated that a bag he left near a Washington Avenue bus stop might contain an explosive device, according to State Police. Authorities immediately evacuated the area and closed the roadway with assistance from the Albany Police Department, officials said.
An investigation by the Bomb Disposal Unit and their K9 partners reportedly determined that the bag did not contain any explosive material. The area was subsequently reopened to the public, police said.
Houlihan was arrested and processed at the State Police of the Capitol substation, according to authorities. The 32-year-old was then arraigned at the Albany City Court and released before being turned over to Albany Medical Center for evaluation and treatment, police said.