Man Accused of Creating DIY Spike Strip

Sometimes yelling at kids to stay off your lawn isn’t enough.

A Minnesota man is now facing criminal charges after police say he took things several steps further by creating a homemade spike strip packed with dozens of three-inch screws and placing it in his front yard.

According to a criminal complaint, 39-year-old Kyle James Steffen of Wyoming, Minnesota, is charged with one gross misdemeanor count of setting a spring gun, pitfall, deadfall, or snare. If convicted, the charge carries a maximum penalty of 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

The incident began in late April when a neighbor called police, reporting that Steffen had been yelling at neighborhood children to stay out of his yard.

When officers arrived, they discovered what they described as a long strip of thick plastic lying in the grass with approximately 40 three-inch screws protruding upward. Investigators also noticed bicycle tire tracks crossing the lawn, suggesting neighborhood kids had been using the yard as a shortcut to a nearby park.

According to the complaint, Steffen admitted placing the device in the yard because he was frustrated with children repeatedly riding their bikes across his property.

Police say he told them he had yelled at the kids numerous times, but they continued riding through the yard “out of spite.”

Steffen reportedly insisted he wasn’t trying to injure anyone. Instead, he claimed the homemade spike strip was intended to scare the children away. However, investigators noted in the complaint that he appeared frustrated the device hadn’t been successful in keeping kids off his lawn.

His first court appearance is scheduled for August 25.

What Do You Think?

Where’s the line between protecting your property and going too far? Would you be upset if neighborhood kids constantly rode through your yard, or does planting dozens of exposed screws cross it by a mile?

Now, here’s a random picture of a Spider man bike, for no reason whatsoever.