A van carrying a 250-gallon drum full of gas was discovered in Miami Tuesday in what police are calling a "mobile bomb" that was waiting to go off.
The van was found in the 1200 block of Southwest 4th Street in the Little Havana neighborhood, Miami Police said.
Police said a neighbor who smelled an odor and saw gas dripping from the back of the van tipped them off. When officers arrived they discovered the drum filled to the brim, officials said.
"This is a very, very serious issue. This is a mobile bomb that could have taken out half a block if detonated, or if somebody lit a cigarette around it," Miami Police Commander Freddie Cruz said.
The white 1998 Ford Econoline van was unoccupied and impounded, officials said. They're still trying to find the owner of the van.
Officers closed off the block while the fire department also responded to the scene. The street was later opened back up.
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Police said typically when large amounts of gas are found in a vehicle, the fuel has been stolen and is sold at a discount.
"God forbid ... a lot of children would have been injured, families, Heaven knows what could have happened here," nearby resident Alberto Robles said.
