MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD – It’s obvious a suspect who entered a storage yard of a farm on Long Corner Road knew what they were doing when they poured herbicide into the tank of a farmer’s fertilization tanker in April.
The act resulted in the damage of a 1,000-acre corn crop. What police and the owner don’t know is who are why it was done.
Now, the owner of that farm equipment is offering a $50,000 reward for the identity of the suspect after suffering $500,000 in financial losses.
“Detectives from the Montgomery County Police – 5th District Investigative Section continue to investigate the April 21, 2021, vandalism to farm equipment in Damascus. The owner of the farm equipment is now offering a reward for information that identifies the subjects in this case. Tipsters providing information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible in this case are eligible for a reward of up to $50,000,” police said.
According to police, on Wednesday, April 21 at approximately 9:30 p.m., a suspect was observed driving onto a storage yard area of a farm located on Long Corner Road. The suspect climbed to the top of a tanker truck used to fertilize fields. The next day, the owner of the farm discovered that the liquid fertilizer in the tanker truck had been contaminated with an herbicide, but not before the truck was used to apply fertilizer to approximately 1000 acres of corn. One week later, employees on the farm discovered additional contamination of fertilizer in another piece of farm equipment.
Anyone with information regarding the person(s) responsible for this vandalism and is interested in the reward, should call Crime Solvers of Montgomery County toll-free at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). To speak to investigating detectives directly, please call the 5th District Investigative Section at 240-773-6273.