Unattended backpack on bus deemed not suspicious, cops say

Police investigating a 911 call reporting a suspicious package found on a Suffolk County bus mid-Monday morning at the Long Island Rail Road station in Patchogue determined it was simply an “unattended backpack” — with nothing suspicious inside.

Suffolk County police said the call reporting the incident at the station on South Ocean Avenue was received at 10:12 a.m.

Fifth Precinct officers and Emergency Service Unit personnel responded to the scene, examined the backpack — and closed out the incident within less than 20 minutes, police said.

Nothing found in the backpack indicated ownership, but police said the contents were not suspicious.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”