SOUTH OGDEN, Utah - South Ogden police are investigating the burning of an American flag outside a black family's home on Election Day.

The family, which lives in a predominantly white neighborhood, came home late Tuesday excited about the election of Barack Obama, according to police.

Members of the Toles family put an American flag outside their home and minutes later, it was on fire, police said. The flames were stomped out by one of the residents.

The incident is being investigated as a possible hate crime, which is defined as any offense meant to terrorize or intimidate, said South Ogden police Officer Marci Edwards.

Police said they don't have a suspect or a motive. The only possible lead is a yellow car spotted in the area, Edwards said.

"It's an emotionally charged thing to have an American flag burned, especially on your own property, and especially on election night," Edwards said.

Members of the family spent Tuesday working at the polls and were delighted that Obama was elected.

"We were just so happy. We were really into this election, not so much because he's a black person. If it had been another black man who wouldn't change things, I wouldn't have voted for him," Debbie Toles Sackie told the Standard-Examiner newspaper in Ogden.

They said they were shocked by what happened to their flag after they got home.

"They've gone too far. I can't be proud there's a black president? I never thought I'd have to be afraid of this happening," Sackie told the newspaper.

Alexander Toles, 20, said he was proud to put the flag up Tuesday night "and then it killed me to tear it down while on fire."

They said there's been friction in the neighborhood before. Edwards said there were no reports of similar incidents in the neighborhood.

KTVX-TV reported Wednesday that a neighbor had given the family a new flag.