The Odessa Police Department has cleared the scene of a bomb threat at a shopping center in the 1600 block of North County Road West.
Police responded at 7:06 p.m. Saturday to a Dollar General, but the threat was in the shopping center, OPD Spokesman Cpl. Steve LeSueur said in a text message.
A male walked up and placed. suitcase on the sidewalk then told a customer it was a bomb and walked off.
The customer told a Dollar General store clerk and the clerk notified OPD, LeSueur said. The witness left the scene, he said.
"We would like to encourage the witness who left the scene to please call the OPD or Odessa Crime Stoppers," LeSueur said.
The scene has been cleared and the investigation revealed that there was never any threat to the area, he said.
The northbound and southbound lanes on North County Road West between 16th Street and Sunset Boulevard are currently shut down, a news release said.
Motorists are encouraged to avoid the area and use alternative routes until further advised.
