Tempe authorities evacuated a Days Inn hotel and a nearby apartment complex after an officer conducting a routine security check found a small bag with a suspicious black substance inside. The bag with the unknown substance was found lying near a bush around 5 p.m.
According to Tempe authorities, the evacuations are simply a precaution to ensure that nobody gets hurt in the event that the unknown substance is found to be dangerous.
Eight rooms at the Days Inn hotel on 1221 E. Apache, and 12 units of the Sonoran Ridge apartments on 1205 E. Apache were evacuated by police.
Police were still on the scene around 8 p.m. Thursday and expected to be at the location for another hour while the substance was tested.
