BOWDEN, W.Va. (WBOY) — Revelle’s River Resort has reported multiple vandalism incidents since early August, and after the latest incident, is offering a reward for information that would lead to the arrest of the vandal.
It originally began when the resort was having issues with the sewer treatment plant, in which the Department of Environmental Protection went out to the plant where they, along with owner Shawn Bennett, found pelletized poison. The owner believes that the same suspect came back to a water system well and completed the second act of vandalism.
On Sept. 1, the owners found transmission fluid, motor oil and other things behind well house 1A, where they were all emptied into the well. The West Virginia State Police is now working with the Resort, amongst other organizations to figure out who vandalized the water system.
Bennett told 12 News that Homeland Security, federal government officials and the Department of Health and Human Resources are also getting involved.
Luckily, the owners said they found the chemicals at the right time. Bennett mentioned that at no time did the tainted water get into the distribution system and effect anybody.
When the State Police arrived on scene, they dusted for finger prints and collected all of the evidence, which is being processed by the State Police Crime Lab. They also have video footage that is being processed. While the owner believes they know who the main suspect is, they are still asking for the public’s help, adding that “somebody out there knows who did this, and there’s people out there that can share the information… And, I can’t stress how important it is to find the person behind this, because this is a serious crime. It’s an act of vandalism, it’s an act of terrorism now in the United States when you mess with a public water system.”
The Resort is offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who has information that could lead to the conviction and prosecution of the vandal. If you have any information, you can call Revelle’s River Resort at 304-636-0023 or the West Virginia State Police at 304-637-0200.
12 News reached out to the Trooper in charge of the investigation but they were not available for comment at the time. Stick with 12 News for more updates on this story.
