Bossier deer camp vandals strike again - $100K in damages
By: Alese Underwood
Updated: October 29, 2012
The Bossier Sheriff's Office and Bossier Crime Stoppers is asking the public's help in finding the person(s) responsible for causing nearly $100,000 in damages to various deer camp sites in northern Bossier Parish over the past two years.
Vandals have burned campers, placed sharp spikes on the roads and stolen deer stands, feeders, cameras and other items at deer camp sites in the vicinity of Highway 160 and Old Plain Dealing Road since October 2010.
The latest incident occurred on Oct. 17, 2012, when a deer camp was burned to the ground, and the criminal mischief is causing fear for hunters as they head into the busy hunting season.
Over the past two years, deputies have found a number of home-made metal spikes on the entrances and roadways of the camps, causing damage to about two dozen tires of vehicles and all-terrain vehicles and creating a dangerous hazard for people.
The spikes are crudely welded together with various metal objects such as files, bolts and other small objects, sharpened on one end, and then either placed on the ground or buried with the sharp tip sticking up.
"When someone goes through this much trouble to cause great harm to other people, there's no other way to describe it other than as sinister," said Bossier Sheriff Julian Whittington.
In September 2011, the Bossier Sheriff's Office asked for the public's help in finding the culprits, but no arrests were made. As detectives continued their investigation, there was no additional criminal activity reported at the deer camps until six months later, when on March 24, 2012, four camps were burned, and more spikes were found.
"As a hunter, I know how frustrating this must be for other outdoorsmen," said Whittington, "but someone knows who's doing these dangerous and despicable acts. I'm asking anyone with any knowledge to contact Crime Stoppers immediately before this moves from property damage to someone getting injured or worse."
Bossier Crime Stoppers is offering an $870 reward for information leading to the arrest of the persons responsible. Anyone with information about these crimes is asked to call 318-424-4100, leave a web tip at www.bossiercrimestoppers.org or text 274637 (CRIMES). All callers to Crime Stoppers will remain anonymous.
