Vandals destroyed hundreds of pumpkins from a West Jordan pumpkin patch over the weekend, forcing the farmers running the patch to close their business days before Halloween.
Pumpkins were dumped and smashed into a field next to the patch, at 3009 W. 7800 South, behind the Macey’s supermarket, said Sgt. J.C. Holt, spokesman for the West Jordan Police Department.
“It effectively shut down their business for the season,” Holt said. “This business is out thousands of dollars.”
Holt put the number of pumpkins destroyed in the hundreds. It was an amount “that could’ve filled up one of our trailers,” farmer Jasmin Rojas told FOX13. She estimated the patch lost over $2,000 in pumpkin sales, plus the cost of stolen wheelbarrows and broken field decorations.
Video surveillance at the nearby Macey’s did not catch the vandals in the act, and Holt said police are relying on the public for leads.
Pumpkin-smashing is a common crime just before Halloween, Holt said, but not to this degree.
“Somebody who goes in and does what they did with this, It’s pretty crazy,” Holt said.
Editor’s note: The Salt Lake Tribune and FOX 13 are content-sharing partners.
Follow @SeanPMeans