A well-dressed man, believed by authorities to be at least 6 feet 3 inches tall, is being sought in connection with a suspicious container left near the front entrance of a Wal-Mart in Loveland.
On the side of the container was written the word “BOOM” in large letters.
The quart-sized container was spotted by the store manager about 7:45 a.m. on April 1.
The store, at 265 W. 65th St., was immediately evacuated, and the Larimer County Bomb Squad and a large number of Loveland police responded.
The man, dressed in a suit with a scarf, is believed to have driven to the store in small pickup truck.
The package was placed at the store on April Fools’ Day, but Loveland police Sgt. Ben Hurr said a motive for the incident hasn’t been established.
The store reopened about 10:45 a.m. after the container was removed.
It contained what appeared to be a petroleum-based liquid, but the container was determined not to be a hazard.
Hurr said that a suspicious-package investigation is labor-intensive, necessitating not only the bomb squad but requiring additional police resources.
The store has numerous surveillance cameras. After the incident and removal of the container, Loveland police said their top priority was to review the surveillance photographs.
Anyone who recognizes the man in the surveillance photos is asked to call Detective Bob Weesner at 970-962-2282.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
