HAVERHILL, MASS. (WHDH) - Police in Haverhill said an 85-year-old allegedly drove out onto the field of a farm and destroyed thousands of dollars worth of crops.
The Srybny Farmstand was closed for the July 4th holiday weekend when someone drove out into the crops on Sunday, July 3.
Ruts from the damage were still visible on Monday, July 11, where a driver apparently plowed through what was once rows of growing sunflowers, zucchini, summer squash, and cucumbers.
“We’ve been victimized before, but nothing like that,” Peter Bucci said.
The 100-acre fruit and vegetable farm has been in Bucci’s wife’s family for 100 years.
“She was furious at first,” Bucci said. “You go to a farmer’s field and destroy their fields? You’re going to get a farmer upset.”
The farm’s owners estimate it will cost them $3,000 just to replant the crops.
Bucci said he assumed the culprits were kids at first, but later learned the suspects were much older.
“They were Santa Claus white-haired, elderly gentlemen, and we actually saw footage of them walking the fence line, shaking the lock,” he said.
Police said an 85-year-old man from a nearby town drove across the field with his elderly brother-in-law. Officers identified them after using images from city street cameras to track down the Subaru Outback seen by the farm owners and their own cameras.
“If I went around the block like I usually do, we would have caught them in the process,” Bucci said. “Why would an 85-year-old do that?”
Police have spoken to the driver and said he admitted to driving onto the farmland. As of Monday, it appears he will not be charged with any crimes, but the farm owners said they want the damage paid for.
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