August 09, 2005
Thomasville-- Vandals are destroying hundreds of yards in Thomas County, and a lot of people are upset about it.
Margaret Rinehart takes great pride in her yard. "I've always had a garden," she says. So, she was devastated to find part of her lawn ruined last month. "I awakened and my yard was yellow, then it turned brown," says Rinehart.
Vandals had struck Rinehart's yard, along with hundreds of others in Thomas County. But hers was just a little different than the others. "They made a nice design in my lawn. It isn't funny. But it is a little more artistic," says Rinehart.
Investigators don't know who's responsible for the destruction. But they do know the vandals are using some sort of chemical. "It appears to be two subjects in the vehicle, maybe holding out a sprayer of some type," says Thomas County Sheriff's Investigator, Pascal Autrey.
The dead grass, flowers, and even bushes started creeping up in Tall Timbers Village about two months ago. Just a couple of days after that, the vandals expanded their base of operations. "Now it's just kind of spreading around town. Even some of the apartment complexes have now gotten hit," says Autrey.
So have two golf courses in Thomas. Investigators aren't sure why the vandalism is happening, but they are making sure to follow all leads. "We want to stop this as quickly as possible. A lot of the yards that are being damaged, the people spend a lot of money on them," says Autrey.
People like Rinehart, who will have to spend even more for new grass. "The damage is done. We'll just have to live with it for quite a while," says Rinehart. She'll have to endure that, or risk having new grass destroyed too.
Investigators say that charges will be filed whenever the vandals are caught. If you have any information, call the Thomas County Sheriff's Office at 225-3315.
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