Brandon Twp.- Police are seeking help from the public in stopping a series of crimes that could result in serious injury or death.
During the past week, several motorists have had rocks thrown at their vehicles in the area. Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Pete Burkett, commander of the Brandon substation, believes the crimes are all connected and perpetrated by juveniles. The thrown rocks have in some cases shattered windshields.
‘We are working diligently to find out who these kids are,? said Burkett. ‘We are afraid someone is going to get hurt really bad.?
According to police reports, on Sept. 25 at 8:55 p.m., a woman was driving southbound on S. Ortonville Road just north of Wolfe Road when an object struck and shattered her windshield. The woman had two children in the car with her. No one was injured, but shards of glass were found throughout the interior of the vehicle.
On Sept. 28, at 9:59 p.m., a Brandon deputy responded to the area of S. Ortonville Road and South Street after a vehicle was struck by a rock while the driver was southbound on Ortonville Road. The complainant saw two males run toward the rear of a business located on South Street. The 4-inch rock damaged the vehicle’s rear left door. Less than a half-hour later, a deputy responded to the area of Oakwood and Hadley Road, where a motorist said she was traveling eastbound on Oakwood Road near Nuthatch when she heard an object strike her vehicle. No other vehicles were near her when this occurred. She stopped and found her windshield had been struck and was shattered in the lower left corner.
Burkett recalls an incident in Michigan from a few years ago, where kids dropped a bowling ball from a bridge overpass, resulting in the death of a driver.
‘We don’t want (these crimes in Brandon) to escalate,? he said. ‘We are very concerned and our deputies are on high alert. This is a very serious offense. Anyone who observes young teens that appear ready to throw rocks or are acting suspiciously, please don’t hesitate to call 9-1-1. We need the public’s help.?