Charleston Police Department Releases Statement Regarding Report Of Armed Individual At Mars Pet Care

Charleston, IL-(Effingham Radio)- The following statement was released by the Charleston Police Department:

At 10:51am Charleston Police officers responded to assist Coles County Sheriff’s Office with a report of a person with a rifle that had entered Mars Pet Care located at 6565 East County Road 1000N. All police units cleared the scene after it was determined that a pest control device was mistaken for a rifle.

At 11:13am Charleston Police officers were dispatched to Vesuvius USA located at 955 North 5th Street regarding an employee that had received outside information that a person was inside the factory with a gun. The employee alerted supervisors and the factory was evacuated. Charleston Police searched the factory with the assistance of the Coles County Sheriff’s Office, Eastern Illinois University Police, Mattoon Police, and Oakland Police Departments. No one was located inside. It was determined that the outside information given had mistaken Vesuvius USA for the original Mars Pet Care.

Police units cleared the scene at 12:06pm.