Crime Report: Bottle Bomb Blows Up Mailbox; Car Radios Stolen

Mailbox blown up by bottle bomb

A woman and her husband reported that their mailbox, located on the corner of Glenwood and Crestwood drives, was damaged by a pop bottle bomb Aug. 21, according to a police report.

The couple had made past reports to the police about their home being egged twice in June and twice in July, the report said. On Aug. 20, the couple heard a pop bottle bomb go off in the front yard, the report said. They then called the police to check the area, but only their front yard was damaged, the report said.

Then on Aug. 21, they heard a louder noise and discovered that their mailbox had been damaged, the report said. According to the report, police found a two-liter pop bottle with small foil balls inside and scattered around the mailbox. The couple also gave the police the bottle they found from the incident the night before, the report said.

The incident is being forwarded to the detective bureau for further investigation.

Car radios stolen in two similar incidents

A man on Shorecrest Drive near Pontiac Trail reported that the radio and miscellaneous tools—worth a total of $1,000—were stolen from his trunk between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. on Aug. 22, according to a police report. The report said the driver’s side window was pried off track with an unknown object.

After recording that larceny, the officer found a similar incident on Timberlane Court, according to a police report. Another car radio and 40 CDs worth a total of $700 were stolen from a vehicle sometime during the night, the report said. The driver’s window frame was also pried by a screwdriver, causing an estimated $500 in damage, the report said. The police report said the screwdriver was left behind on the front seat of the car and there was one latent print of evidence found on the tool. Lab results are pending, the report said.

Two license plates switched in high school prank

A resident of Woodham Road near 10 Mile Road reported Aug. 21 that his license plate was stolen from his vehicle sometime within the past month and replaced by another plate, according to a police report. The man said he realized his plate had been switched when he noticed the expiration date on the plate was different from what it should have been, the report said.

The license plate found on the man’s car had already been reported as stolen, the report said. The police discovered that his license plate was switched with another’s and that both residents have students at Novi High School, the report said. The report said that the incident appears to be a high school prank.

Garage door damaged by teen throwing chair

A police officer was speaking to a homeowner about damage to the home on West Cavendish Avenue near 10 Mile Road when another resident said his house had been damaged, too, according to a police report. The man said several places on his metal garage door had been damaged, and a few weeks ago, unknown teens had broken a flowerpot on his porch, the report said.

Another resident on the street had recently installed a video surveillance system and was able to share footage of the night with the police, the report said. The video showed four male teens running in the driveway and one throwing a metal chair at the garage door at 2 a.m. Sunday. The police checked the neighborhood for the teen seen on the video throwing the chair, but he could not be located. Police are continuing their efforts to identify the teens.

If you have questions about this blotter, contact Editor Rebecca Jaskot at rebecca.jaskot@patch.com.