Beware of bottle bombs

By Casey Curtis
Leader Staff Writer
After two homes in Leonard were recently the target of ‘bottle bombs,? Sgt. Pete Burkett, of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Addison substation, wants to get the word out about the dangerous items.
The homemade bombs are made with plastic bottles and other household items.
On July 24, somebody placed a bottle bomb on the front step of a home on Rosy Ct. around 1:30 a.m.
According to the sheriff’s report, when the bomb erupted, it created a large dent onto the family’s vehicle, but didn’t damage any other part of the home.
On the evening of June 26, another bottle bomb incident occurred in the front yard of a home on W. Elmwood.
The homeowner mistakenly picked up the damaged bottle and got a drop of the liquid on his skin, which caused it to burn, but he refused medical treatment.
Luckily, in both cases, no one was seriously injured.
‘There have been incidents where people have been blinded by them,? Burkett said.
Although they don’t have any suspects in the Leonard cases, the sergeant said it’s most likely juveniles being malicious.
If anyone comes across a bottle bomb that has gone off, or that hasn’t yet, Burkett urges you to contact the sheriff’s department so they can properly dispose it.
‘You never know when that thing’s gonna go,? he said.
You can reach Sgt. Burkett at (248) 628-3600.