Suspicious package briefly shuts down San Francisco Westfield Mall

SAN FRANCISCO -- The area around a suspicious package in San Francisco was deemed safe this morning, police said.

The suspicious package was reported at 9:44 a.m. at Mission and Jessie streets near Fifth Street on the south corner of the Westfield San Francisco Centre shopping mall.

Police closed the mall and asked people to avoid the area. As of 11:05 a.m. the area was deemed safe and the mall and nearby streets were expected to open soon, police said.