Farmington police find no explosives, reopen Lowe's store

Police were dispatched around 10:40 a.m. to the home improvement store

Joshua Kellogg
Farmington Daily Times
Farmington police officers investigate a suspicious package on Monday at Lowe's Home Improvement in Farmington.
  • Police closed off part of the parking lot on the southwest corner of Lowe's, behind the Del Taco restaurant.
  • Around 12:20 p.m., police investigating the scene determined there were no explosives in the package.
  • Police had closed the entrances on East Main Street and Piñon Hills Boulevard as they investigated the scene and reopened them as they left the scene.

FARMINGTON — No explosives were found inside a suspicious package left outside the Lowe's home improvement store in Farmington this morning.

The Farmington Police Department was dispatched around 10:40 a.m. today to Lowe's at 5451 Piñon Hills Blvd. on reports of a suspicious package found outside the building, according to Farmington police spokeswoman Georgette Allen.

Police closed off part of the parking lot on the southwest corner of Lowe's, behind the Del Taco restaurant. Lowe's was evacuated during the investigation.

A robot was deployed by police to investigate the package.

A Farmington police officer secures an area where a suspicious package was found Monday at Lowe's Home Improvement in Farmington.

Around 12:20 p.m., police investigating the scene determined there were no explosives in the package, Allen said.

Police had closed the entrances on East Main Street and Piñon Hills Boulevard as they investigated the scene and reopened them as they left the scene.

Farmington police officers investigate a suspicious package on Monday at Lowe's Home Improvement in Farmington.

The entrance to the Blue Diamond Auto Spa was also closed off during the police investigation.

Lowe's employees stood around the parking lot near the Trattoria Di Bernardone restaurant and Blue Diamond Auto Spa during the investigation.

They took photos as police deployed the robot to investigate the package and returned to the store as police took down yellow crime scene tape.

Kay Likes and her husband, Larry Likes, were shopping inside the store when they were told to evacuate.

"We were in the back of the store and they said 'get out, get out,'" Kay said.

Lowe's Home Improvement employees watch as Farmington police officers investigate a suspicious package on Monday at Lowe's in Farmington.

Kay was riding in an electric cart while shopping and stated the cart was slow as she tried to exit the store.

The Likes stayed in their vehicle in the parking lot until police removed the tape blocking the entrance to Lowe's from Piñon Hills Boulevard.

Joshua Kellogg covers crime, courts and social issues for The Daily Times. He can be reached at 505-564-4627 or via email at jkellogg@daily-times.com.