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DELAND -- It's easy, anonymous and could put up to $1,000 in someone's pocket. It's the crime-fighting Crime Stoppers program, and officials investigating a pipe bomb explosion early Sunday morning near DeLand are hoping that someone with information about the incident will call the tip line and claim a reward.
The pipe bomb was detonated shortly after 3 a.m. in the parking lot of the Mallards of Brandywine apartment complex.
"While no one was injured, a car sustained significant damage," Volusia County Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said. "The blast caused a slight amount of damage to a second vehicle. Also, two of the tires on one of the cars were slashed."
The incident is being investigated by the Volusia County Sheriff's Office, the State Fire Marshal's Office and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Agents continue to conduct interviews and analyze evidence from the scene in an effort to determine who was responsible for making and detonating the device, the Sheriff's spokesman said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida, toll-free, at (888) 277-TIPS. Tipsters will remain anonymous, and information that leads to an arrest in the case can qualify for a reward of up to $1,000. Resident can also text a tip by texting "TIP231 plus the message" to CRIMES.