The possibility that someone planted a cell phone-enabled bomb in a Panera Bread customer's Chevrolet had police, fire and medical personnel and bomb squad technicians on scene at 201 N. 66th St. Friday evening.

But the device - a cell phone with exposed wiring and some plastic tubing all wrapped together - was a phony, Lincoln Police Capt. Anthony Butler said.

That was determined after Lincoln's Bureau of Fire Prevention used a bomb robot and bomb squad techs to inspect the device. Until then, emergency crews proceeded as if they were dealing with a bomb.

Lincoln Fire and Rescue Deputy Fire Chief Leo Benes said employees and diners at the HuHot Mongolian Grill and the Panera Bread near Westfield Gateway mall were evacuated at about 6:45 p.m. A woman returning to her car in the restaurants' parking lot felt the suspicious device hitting her leg underneath the dashboard, Butler said.

Butler said officers were dispatched to the scene at 5:51 p.m. Once they arrived, he said, LFR was called and placed in charge.

The device was deemed to be inactive at about 8:45 p.m., Benes said. The two restaurants were closed for about two hours, and two other businesses, Chuck E. Cheese and Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts, were also affected during the response.

It's unknown how the device was planted in the woman's car, and police continue to investigate.

Reach Cory Matteson at 473-7438 or cmatteson@journalstar.com.