Exclusive video shows a family’s mailbox exploding in Tillmans Corner

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - One local family got a scary delivery when their mailbox was blown up early Saturday morning.

A handmade explosive launched fragments everywhere, and all of this was caught on surveillance video.

The Tillmans Corner family is on a mission to find out who did this.

In the video, you see a vehicle ease its way to the mailbox, plant an explosive, and immediately drive away.

“I got woken up around 1:15 a.m. to a loud explosion,” said one of the residents. “We are used to hearing 18-wheeler tires blow up all the time on the interstate. So I got up, checked the cameras, but I didn’t see anything. When I went back and reviewed our cameras-- a couple of young boys- it looked like-- put a homemade pipe bomb in our mailbox, lit it on fire, and it exploded. It is a federal offense.”

The explosion occurred at Quail Run in Tillmans Corner.

“This is a huge safety concern because we have a child in our house- people across the street have children, there are children all in this neighborhood and I don’t want stuff like that in this neighborhood,” the resident added.

According to the family, the explosion sent the debris flying. Some debris even ended up on their next door neighbor’s porch.

“It went a long range-- like two and three yards down both sides, across the street- there were pieces of mailbox everywhere.”

After gathering the evidence and picking up the shards, the family believes the explosive was a homemade ‘pipe bomb’.

“It was made out of PVC pipe, mortars like you would shoot off in the canons of fireworks, you could tell it was glued together with some kind of glue- probably had duck tape around it. Whatever it was, it was big.”

The family says part of their front yard even caught fire for a moment.

“Our Christmas lights are in millions of pieces- there are burnt-up plugs. We had mail in the mailbox at the time-- all that’s burned up- pieces of trash are everywhere.”

The victims are unaware of who the suspects are and why they targeted their mailbox.

“Be aware of your surroundings. Watch your children at all times. I mean- know this is the world we live in but if we can do anything to stop these people from committing crimes like this that is one day gonna end up injuring or hurting or killing anyone-- I’m all for it.”

The family says they filed a police report, and this is an ongoing investigation. They’re asking you to keep your eyes peeled for the vehicle.

If you have any information that would help the case, call the Mobile Police Department.

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