Suspicious Van at Harpersfield McDonald's Turns Out To Have Confetti Cannons, Not Threat

What Happened A deputy with the Ashtabula County Sheriff's Office spotted a suspicious white Sprinter van at the McDonald's on State Route 534 North in Harpersfield Township on August 11. The driver, a Staten Island, New York resident originally from Ukraine, did not speak English. Deputies used a cell phone translation app to communicate with the driver, who cooperated throughout the encounter. Officials say the driver's cooperation helped move the investigation along quickly. K9 Response And Closures Due to the suspicious nature of the encounter, the Lake County Bomb Squad's K9 unit was called in to examine the vehicle. The K9 indicated a positive alert on the van. As a precaution, nearby businesses and roadways were closed for the duration of the investigation. Closures like this are standard procedure any time a bomb squad K9 flags a vehicle, regardless of the eventual outcome. No Threat Found Further investigation determined that no threat had occurred. A review of the driver's Bill of Lading receipts confirmed the van was carrying a delivery of confetti cannons bound for the Patriot Games event at Spire Institute. The Sheriff's Office released the details in a statement signed by Sheriff William R. Niemi.