Toronto police re-opened a section of Queen Street in Leslieville following a robbery attempt in which a suspect wearing a black Halloween cape left a suspicious-looking package behind, triggering a scare.
CTV Toronto's Jim Junkin said shortly after 6 p.m. that police had determined the package was harmless.
Police say they got a call at around 3:11 p.m. for a robbery at the TD Canada Trust at 908 Queen St. E. near Logan Avenue.
They cleared the area out, fearing the object could be a bomb or contain a dangerous substance.
Junkin said employees in the bank initially thought they were witnessing some type of joke as they looked at the character in the Grim Reaper costume complete with rubber gloves and a surgical mask.
"He came in with a box. He approached the teller. He produced a hold-up note and placed the box on the counter," said Det. Jim Fairey of the Toronto Police Service. "The note said it was a robbery and there was a bomb."
After the robber -- who obtained no money -- ran away in his costume up Booth Avenue, the police evacuated the bank to examine the package. Ultimately, they found it contained chunks of plaster and smashed-up wallboard.
With a report from CTV Toronto's Jim Junkin
