The Las Cruces Police Department temporarily closed a portion of Sonoma Ranch Boulevard and nearby roadways while an explosives disposal unit from Fort Bliss responded to a storage facility on the 3400 block of north Sonoma Ranch Boulevard.
Both directions of Sonoma Ranch Boulevard were temporarily closed from Sedona Hills Parkway on the south to Rinconada Boulevard on the north. No foot or motorized traffic was permitted in the area until further notice.
Shortly after noon on Tuesday, Jan. 30, Las Cruces police were asked to help secure an area surrounding the storage unit on the 3400 block of Sonoma Ranch Boulevard. Sonoma Ranch Boulevard and nearby neighborhood roadways were then temporarily closed to traffic while the explosives disposal unit secured the device.
Sonoma Ranch Boulevard and nearby roadways reopened to traffic about 4:10 p.m.
Out of an abundance of caution, the Dona Ana Community College East Mesa Campus and Camino Real Middle School were asked to shelter-in-place. Because of its proximity to the storage facility, Dona Ana Community College subsequently cancelled classes and evacuated the East Mesa campus.
The shelter-in-place requests have since been lifted.
Neighbors were directed to contact the public relations office at White Sands Missile Range Army Base for more information on the incident, but calls were directed back to the Las Cruces Police Department.
