Police have solved the case of a bizarre vandalism incident at the Republic Aquatic Center.
On the morning of Sunday, July 14, RAC workers discovered someone had broken into the facility and pushed a lawnmower into the deep-end of the swimming pool. Gasoline and oil from the mower seeped into the water. The process to retrieve the mower, and filter the water, forced the center to close Sunday and Monday. The cost of cleanup, coupled with missed revenue from the closure, resulted in thousands of dollars in losses. Operations returned to normal on Tuesday.
Security camera footage of the incident was handed over the Republic Police Department. Following a five-day investigation, authorities tracked down four juvenile suspects seen in the video. All are under the age of 18, including three young men and a young woman. The individuals were contacted and interviewed by Republic Police. All four are now facing charges of trespassing. Two of them also face additional charges related to property damage. Because of their ages, the names of the individuals accused of the crimes will not be released.
For more information, contact Michael Landis, Public Information Officer, at mlandis@republicmo.com.