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Marathon spectators seek items left behind in blast – Metro US

Marathon spectators seek items left behind in blast

copley square marathon bombing boston Copley Square as seen nearly a week after the Marathon bombings. Water bottles and other post-race debris still litter the restricted crime scene area. Credit: Michael Naughton/Metro

More than a week after the Boston Marathon bombings the recovery is underway, and that includes the items people left behind as they scattered after the explosions.

“People running for their lives dropped their purses, their wallets, whatever they were holding,” said Boston police Sgt. William Doogan.

Police and the city are working on reuniting people who were on Boylston Street or near Copley Square when the bombs went off. Dozens of items are currently being housed at Boston Police headquarters in Roxbury including strollers, backpacks and expensive photography equipment. Some items are still in the possession of federal authorities, who are continuing to process evidence.

“We have purses with money, we have wallets with money in them, we have a significant number of credit cards that were left at various establishments,” Doogan said.

People who left items behind can call 617-635-4500, email lostproperty.bpd@cityofboston.gov or visit police headquarters between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. through Friday. Police are trying to contact the owners of items with identifying information, but that will not be possible in all cases.

Mike Kincade went to headquarters Tuesday to try to locate his cell phone, jacket and eye glasses. The 27-year-old Boston salesman was sitting on the patio of the Charlesmark Hotel when the explosions happened.

“We just reacted, got up, paused for a second just to kind of see what was happening, then the second bomb went off. At that point everyone just kind of scattered and went different places. It was kind of hysterical,” said Kincade.

He said police did not have his items, but he wasn’t frustrated.

Most people that police have heard from regarding the left behind items haven’t been frustrated, said Doogan.

“I think everybody kind of realizes given the gravity of the situation that the FBI, the BPD, the state police, we’re all doing the best we can to gather up what we have for property and get back to these people items of a non evidentiary value,” he said.

Follow Michael Naughton on Twitter @metrobosmike.