Police: Items in Lake Zurich apartment determined not to be hazardous

A bomb squad determined items in a Lake Zurich apartment deemed suspicious - possibly large fireworks or explosive devices - were actually homemade batteries that were not hazardous, authorities said.

Residents of the Liberty Lake Apartments who were temporarily evacuated got to return to their homes Friday night after receiving the all-clear from police about 6 p.m.

Earlier around 1:30 p.m., a maintenance worker from the apartment complex at 201 S. Buesching Road reported seeing the items that appeared suspicious. Lake Zurich police and fire personnel responded, but were unable to contact the tenant, according to a news release.

The building was evacuated and residents were relocated to the nearby Ela Township Community Center. The South Lake County Regional Community Emergency Response Team and area police departments worked to secure a perimeter around the apartment building, officials said.

The tenant was located and gave consent to search the apartment. The Waukegan Fire Department's bomb squad arrived and determined the items were homemade batteries.

Lake Zurich police said Friday night there was no crime and no charges will be filed.