Police Give All-Clear After 'Suspicious' Tesla Sparks Alarm At New York Mall

Investigators have given the all-clear after a "suspicious" Tesla was reported at a mall in Queens, New York City.

The New York Police Department responded to a report about a suspicious device in a vehicle at the Queens Place Mall in the Elmhurst neighborhood at around 8:30 a.m. on Monday.

The mall was evacuated and police sealed off several blocks as a bomb unit was called in to investigate the vehicle and determine whether or not it contained explosives.

At around 11 a.m., a spokesman for the NYPD confirmed to Newsweek that authorities have now determined there were no explosives in the vehicle. "They searched the car and there was nothing dangerous about the car," the spokesman said.

On Twitter, the NYPD said the suspicious package in the vehicle had been deemed a "hoax device" and that a dog that was trapped in the vehicle has been freed by officers.

"UPDATE: The suspicious package in the @NYPD110Pct has been deemed a hoax device. Immediately upon responding to the initial scene, officers from@NYPDCT and @NYPDSpecialops rescued this husky that was trapped inside the vehicle," police tweeted alongside a picture of the dog.

No information about the vehicle's owner was provided.

Earlier on Monday morning, the NYPD Special Operations team only confirmed that it was investigating a suspicious vehicle in the vicinity of the mall.

NBC New York, citing two law enforcement sources with direct knowledge of the investigation, reported that the vehicle had sparked alarm because of what appeared to be a small can attached to it.

One official told the station that a Black Lives Matter sign was attached to the can in the back of the vehicle.

Meanwhile, the police department urged people to avoid the area.

"Due to a police on going investigation, please avoid the area of Queens Place Mall. Expect heavy delays & a large police presence in the area. Plan an alternate route if possible," the NYPD 110th Precinct said in a tweet.