A bomb squad on Sunday successfully destroyed a pressure cooker that was located in a "suspicious" car close to the Capitol in Washington, D.C., said a U.S. Capitol Police spokeswoman, according to the Associated Press.
The automobile was empty and left on the National Mall, Police Lt. Kimberly Schneider told the Associated Press. She said Capitol Police officers spotted the car around 5 p.m.
Schneider said that an odor of gasoline was detected along with a pressure cooker. She said the bomb squad was called because the automobile was "suspicious in nature."
The area was closed off while the bomb squad known as the Hazardous Devices Section destroyed "items of concern in the vehicle including the pressure cooker."
She also told the AP that this included a controlled detonation of the items. A loud bang was heard around 7:45 p.m., according to the New York Times.
Nearby, a Memorial Day concert was held on Capitol west lawn, starring Gloria Estefan, with hundreds of people in attendance, FOX 5 DC reported.
The owner of the car was found and Schneider identified him as Israel Shimeles of Alexandria, Virginia. He was arrested by Capitol Police and charged with "Operating After Revocation."
Pressure cookers are used to make explosive devices and were used in the April 2013 Boston Marathon bombings that killed three and wounded 260 people.