Man who threw suspicious package at NYPD van in custody after standoff

A man who had been sitting in a parked SUV, prompting the closure of New York’s Columbus Circle and surrounding streets this morning, hours after a suspicious package was thrown into an NYPD vehicle in Times Square, has been taken into custody, according to police.

The suspect was initially reported to be wearing a red helmet and was moving around in the vehicle, according to police.

Large numbers of police responded, closing Columbus Circle to pedestrians and traffic. Police have sent in a robot to get a closer look.

Police were looking into whether the man in the SUV is the person wanted for throwing a suspicious package into an NYPD van parked in Times Square hours earlier.

The suspicious package landed on the dashboard of an NYPD van just before 11:35 p.m. Tuesday.

Police said the package was wrapped up and was making some kind of ticking noise.

The sergeant in the van immediately drove out of Times Square to a safer location, police said. The package was placed on the ground and away from pedestrians. The NYPD Bomb Squad was called to the scene, police said.

After examining the package, it was found to be a red candle and a battery-operated lantern, wrapped in tin foil. The object was wrapped in a white shirt.

The scare prompted a citywide search for the SUV.

WABC’s Mark Crudele contributed to this report.

This story is developing. Please check back for updates