Police investigating a vehicle parked near the Pentagon & arrest a man carrying carrying suspicious items in a backpack - East Idaho News
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Police investigating a vehicle parked near the Pentagon & arrest a man carrying carrying suspicious items in a backpack

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Pentagon Another Target?

Fox News Reports:

Authorities have one person in custody and have found a suspicious backpack with a label claiming it contains an explosive chemical near the Pentagon, as they scramble to investigate the unfolding situation just outside the nation’s capital.

David Schlosser, spokesman with the U.S. Park Police, said during a press conference Friday that a man, whom he did not identify, was found inside Arlington Cemetery overnight when the cemetery was closed. The man was taken into custody and “was not very cooperative to answers about what his activities were,” Schlosser said.

Officials were later led to a car apparently in the bushes near the Pentagon’s north parking lot. A source with knowledge of the investigation told Fox News that authorities then found a backpack containing what they believed was five pounds of ammonium nitrate outside the vehicle — however, while the substance was labeled “ammonium nitrate,” field tests came back negative.

A notebook was also found at the scene and contained threatening phrases like “Al Qaeda” and “Taliban rule” and “defeated coalition forces,” Fox News has learned.

Schlosser would not confirm reports that suspicious items have been found, saying the investigation is still ongoing.

“At this point we have someone who was suspicious by being in Arlington Cemetery overnight,” he said. “I’m not sure if any devices have been found at this point.”

The man arrested is a naturalized U.S. citizen who came to the country from Ethiopia, a source told MyFoxDC.com.

Schlosser said he did not know if any charges have been filed against the man, who is still in custody.

Authorities have closed several major roads around the Pentagon due to the investigation.

Routes 27 and 110 around the Pentagon, all ramps to and from Interstate 395 near the Pentagon and eastbound Interstate 66 to Route 110 were all closed.

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