Sheriff’s Office searching for vandals

The Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the vandalism of construction equipment that took place sometime over the Christmas holiday with estimated damages of $92,000.
When employees of Manassas-based List Excavating, Inc. — which has a temporary site at the 14000 block of Lovers Lane in Culpeper — returned from the extended holiday break on Monday, they noticed the damage and reported it deputies, according to spokesman Sgt. Jim Fox.
Investigators believe the crime occurred between Dec. 24 and 29.
“Someone entered the lot and started up one of their big pieces of equipment and did a lot of damage to a lot of pieces of equipment,” Fox said.
The damage includes: $30,000 to a John Deere backhoe; $50,000 to a John Deere bulldozer; $2,000 to a vibrating roller; and two trailers, one worth $8,000 and the other $2,000.
“Employees anticipate that the (damage) costs more,” Fox added.
Tim Reeves, construction manager and vice president with List Excavating, Inc., estimated damages at more like $100,000.
“After you add up the cost of taking equipment from other jobs and having to take the damaged equipment to dealers to be fixed the cost is much higher,” Reeves said Tuesday morning during a telephone interview. “It’s sad and I’m heartbroken by it. People do stupid things.”
The construction company is currently working on building a Hampton Inn & Suites hotel on Lovers Lane.
Reeves said his company is offering a $1,000 reward to anyone with information that leads to an arrest.
No one was hurt during the incident.
Anyone with any information is urged to contact investigator Justin Dole at 727-7523 ext. 153 or the Sheriff’s Office at 727-3400.

Rhonda Simmons can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 125 or .