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MILLCREEK — Four PVC pipes feared to be pipe bombs that were found spanning a Millcreek roadway Monday are believed to be nothing more than a prank.
The four PVC pipes were found lying two in each travel lane near 300 East and 4155 South around 2:30 a.m., Unified Police Sgt. Kevin Betterton said. Officers found them after hearing a "popping noise" that led them to a broken lawn ornament.
Further investigation led them to the pipes, and the fire department was called out to investigate and detonate the implements.
"They were just cement in a plastic tube," Betterton said. "There was no sort of explosive whatsoever."
Police believe it was merely a stunt, but not one without consequences.
"For a simple prank, it's definitely costly to the public," Betterton said.
The pipes were the second bogus bomb to be found in Salt Lake County in two days. Salt Lake police evacuated businesses and five homes in the area of 300 West between 500 and 600 North for about two hours Sunday afternoon after they found a suspected pipe bomb in a planter box about 2:30 p.m.
The device was disrupted and determined to be non- functioning, but police said it was very convincing in appearance.
Betterton said that while the pipes in Millcreek turned out to not be a threat, it's better to be safe than sorry.
"You just don't know what it's going to be and it's the one time you don't check that it’s going to result in a disaster and get someone hurt," he said. "Even though we suspected early on what it was going to be, you still have to go through all the steps to make sure."
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