West El Paso evacuations end as police remove dynamite from home

EL PASO, Texas -- A west El Paso neighborhood was evacuated for several hours on Friday afternoon after explosives were discovered in a nearby house.

Police had residents clear out of their homes in the 200 block of Crown Point, which is near Mesa and Sunland Park, around 2:15 p.m.

A police spokesman said old sticks of dynamite were discovered in a garage that was being cleaned out following the homeowner's recent death.

The police bomb squad deployed a robot for an explosives sweep, while nearby streets were closed and the public was told to "stay clear of the area."

Just before 5 p.m., police tweeted that "bomb techs (were) preparing to inspect (the) explosive material" inside the home.

As of 6:30 p.m., authorities said bomb squad officers had safely removed the dynamite and residents would be allowed to return to their homes.