Novi man has truck torched in subdivision vandalism

NOVI, Mich. (WXYZ) - He heard the tires popping on his truck. That's when Darren Yanke and his family jumped out of bed to find his Ford F-150 burning in the driveway.

"It looked like a campfire then the gas tank melted and it just exploded and flames shot at least 30 feet in the air," Yanke says.

Novi police believe Yanke's truck was the latest victim in a string of vandalism style pranks that have been happening in Chase Farms subdivision in the wee hours of the morning, over the past few months.

Police say it started off with mailboxes and eggs, and has grown into smoke bomb fire crackers being thrown in places like Yanke's truck bed, and even inside the door of his next door neighbor.

"My husband opened the door at about one in the morning and the smoke bomb was stuck in the door and rolled in the house," said Amisha Mehta who has made a police report for every prank that has happened on her property.

Novi police say they have been looking at and interviewing several young people in the neighborhood.

Crime stoppers is offering a $1000 reward for information leading to the suspects.