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Suspicious package left at Belltown bank robbery causes rush-hour delays Monday

SEATTLE, Wash. — A bank robbery and suspicious package in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood created significant traffic delays amid rush hour on Monday.

Seattle Police Department reported around 4:45 p.m. that a suspect was in custody after a robbery at Wells Fargo. They found a suspicious package left behind a few blocks away from the bank.

>> See photos of the scene here

The suspicious package, a red bag, was abandoned near an apartment building at 3rd Avenue and Battery Street.

Officers deployed robots to investigate it. One of the robots pulled out an item that had a pipe with wires. The robots placed the item in a black box just before 6 p.m. Streets were reopened a short time later.

The police activity on Battery Street blocked all lanes between 2nd Avenue and 5th Avenue for nearly two hours late Monday afternoon.

Delays continued into early Monday evening. Commuters were advised to find alternate routes.

King County Metro released a transit alert that riders should expect "significant delays" for buses that take 3rd Avenue to get to downtown Seattle. Buses were re-routed off 3rd Avenue between Blanchard and Wall Streets.

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