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More Than A Dozen Letters With White Powder Sent To Roselle Park, N.J. Homes

ROSELLE PARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- There was a mail mystery in New Jersey Friday night, after more than a dozen letters containing a powdery substance were sent to homes.

As CBS2's Jessica Layton reported, the FBI said there was no danger. But residents remained unnerved.

Warren Avenue in Roselle Park is the kind of street where people put potted plants on their doorsteps and plant decorative flags near their mailboxes. But what was inside some of the mailboxes turned the quiet community chaotic hours earlier.

"When I went outside and they were like, you know, first thing I hear is, 'You might have to be quarantined.' I was like, 'What?!'" said Bryan Walsh of Roselle.

"It's just scary the world we live in right now -- it's scary," said Jennifer Cieslinski of Roselle Park.

Cieslinski was among the 16 people who got a suspicious envelope delivered to her house through the Post Office on Friday. One of her neighbors reported a white powder in a piece of mail, prompting police to swarm the area and shut down the road.

"Especially for such a small town for that to happen – it's pretty crazy," said Michael Bell of Roselle Park.

Authorities told CBS2 News the substance was a common household product. Neighbors said it was flour.

Neighbors said whoever sent out the envelopes seemed to target homeowners on only one side of the street, with the odd-numbered houses. Now that they know that powder wasn't dangerous, the neighbors need to find out why someone would want to mess with their neighborhood.

"If you thought it was funny -- it's not funny," Cieslinski said.

The FBI is looking into the case, and until they catch the person behind the suspicious substance scare, neighbors will be looking at their mail a little closer.

Police looking into the incident said there is no credible threat to the residents.

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