Santa Barbara police say a suspicious package found in the downtown area Tuesday afternoon turned out not to be dangerous.
The military surplus-type box was found along the 1200 block of Chapala Street just before 12:30 p.m.
Police, fire and the county bomb squad responded and established a perimeter. Neighboring businesses were evacuated.
Police say a robot was used to examine the box and as they were still in the process of evaluating it, the owner arrived to retrieve the box.
Officers say he was able to identify what was inside the box — tie-down straps used for his business, AquaViable. He apparently forgot he had left the box in that location. Police allowed him to retrieve it.
The scene was cleared shortly before 3 p.m.
