Authorities were searching last night for a man who allegedly robbed one of the city's main post offices with what he said was a bomb, triggering the closure of several surrounding streets yesterday and panic in the Theater District, officials said.
A man placed a shoe box on the counter of the Post Office at 7 Avenue de Lafayette about 3:30 p.m., as if he wanted to mail it, said David Estrada, a Boston Police spokesman, and Robert Cannon, spokesman for US Postal Service in Boston.
The box, which turned out to contain two bottles of an unknown liquid, had wires protruding from it, authorities said. "He made it to look like a bomb, there's no question," Cannon said.
The man, who authorities described as a white male in his 50s with a gray beard and short gray hair, then handed the clerk a note, Cannon said.
"It said, 'This is a bomb, put all your larger bills, 20s and 50s, within the box and do it within two minutes, or I'll blow this place up," said Cannon, who said he was paraphrasing and had not seen the note.
The clerk had only $40 in the cash register, which angered the man, who took the cash and fled.
"He became disconcerted and said, 'What? Only 40?' and ran out. He just ran out. That ended it," Cannon said.
Authorities evacuated the Post Office and closed surrounding streets, Estrada said. Investigators determined that the device was not hazardous at about 5:30 p.m. and streets were reopened about 6 p.m., Cannon said.
"When somebody says 'bomb,' obviously you have to evacuate," Cannon said.
