"We are investigating something that was left, but it was not a suicide note," Tanaka said.

Despite reports late last that night that a suicide note was found on the apartment door, police say there was no suicide note with the bodies, according to Shino Tanaka, spokeswoman for the police department.

Police could not immediately release any details about the two victims who were found by a hazardous materials team searching a building that was evacuated following a call at 6:09 p.m. on Sept. 24 reporting a noxious smell.

On Thursday morning, police said that the smell and subsequent evacuation was not due to a gas leak, and that the cause of the noxious fumes is still under investigation.

What started out as an investigation into the source of a possible gas leak took a dark turn, as two bodies were found in an apartment on California Street Wednesday evening.

Tanaka said there was no exact count of the number of apartments affected, but that approximately 30 to 40 evacuees had gathered in the community center at 201 S. Rengstorff Ave. where the American Red Cross was offering assistance.

Pacific Gas & Electric crews shut off gas lines in the area, but there was no immediate indication of what might have caused a gas leak. Although fumes did start to clear after the gas was shut off, Tanaka said Wednesday, but Thursday morning police had ruled out a gas leak as the cause and are investigation other causes.

Four Mountain View police officers investigating the incident at 2025 California St. were sickened by the strong, noxious odor, Tanaka said. Residents of one adjacent building, at 2017 California St., were evacuated, due to the direction the wind was carrying the fumes, and residents of another nearby building at 2035 California St. were advised to shelter in place until the fumes dissipated, Tanaka said.

Mountain View police and fire departments responded to the incident, along with the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety, Rural Metro ambulance services, the American Red Cross and staff from the Mountain View Community Services Department.

Residents were allowed back into their buildings around 8 a.m. Thursday morning. The affected portion of California Street was still filled with emergency vehicles and closed to traffic into Thursday morning.

Two found dead in evacuated building

Source of 'noxious' fumes on California Street Wednesday still under investigation; gas leak not to blame, police say