Heart of Times Square evacuated as suspicious package prompts bomb squad investigation

Throngs of commuters and tourists were evacuated from the heart of Times Square on Monday morning as cops investigated a suspicious package found outside the local NYPD precinct.

A 26-year-old Bronx man was later arrested and slapped with charges including placing a false bomb and reckless endangerment after leaving the cylindrical device in front of the Police Department’s small Times Square location at 43rd Street and Seventh Avenue around 10:30 a.m., law-enforcement sources said.

The suspect, Desean Maryat, who is on probation, was taken to a local hospital for a psych evaluation, sources said. It’s unclear why he is on probation.

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The emergency response to the bomb scare quickly turned the bustling area into a ghost town.

Once the NYPD’s bomb squad deemed the package non-hazardous, the crowds were allowed to return.

The suspicious package was made up of miscellaneous packing materials, sources said.

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Subway service at the busy local stations was not disrupted, the MTA said.

Eerie aerial footage of the scene during the evacuation showed one of the busiest spots in Manhattan at a standstill with only a few police vehicles and officials in the area as the package was probed.

A couple from Yonkers who were in the area with their baby said they were startled by the bomb scare and asked a reporter, “Are we alright?”

A family from Colombia also described the unnerving scene. 

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“We got off the train and saw everything closed off and police everywhere,” one of the tourists said.

“They wouldn’t tell us everything. We’re just here because my sister has never seen New York.”

The investigation into the package is ongoing, cops said.