Victoria Police are looking to speak to a man who was seen leaving behind a welded-shut toolbox in a basketball court in Fernwood area Thursday afternoon.
Police were called to the 1200-block of Gladstone Avenue at around 12:30 p.m. today after a witness observed the unknown man leave the suspicious item behind at the court.
The area remains closed to traffic and will be so for several more hours, according to police.
“We’ve evacuated surrounding businesses and are instructing area residents to stay a safe distance away,” VicPD said in a tweet.
The Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team have also been called in to assist.
The man who left it in the basketball court is described as a Caucasian man with a brown beard and a long sleeve shirt. He drove a white vehicle, possibly a Mazda, and took the toolbox out of the trunk before leaving it on the court.
Officers are now looking to speak to the man to discuss the contents of the toolbox, and are asking people to avoid the area at this time.
Anyone who has information about the toolbox or the suspect is asked to contact VicPD at 250-995-7654 press #1 to speak with the report desk. To report what you know anonymously, please call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
