More than one hundred fish killed in koi pond vandalism | Crime

SALISBURY - Rowan County deputies are looking for someone who vandalized one homeowners decorative koi pond and killed dozens of fish with antifreeze.

"We started noticing fish coming up to the surface of the water Monday or Tuesday of last week," said homeowner Colin Patterson.  "We started taking them out day by day."

According to the sheriff's report, Patterson told deputies that someone poured antifreeze in his 5500 gallon koi pond in the front yard of his home on 915 Roseman Road.

"At the time we didn't know what had happened, we were trying to get to the bottom of it.  When I got down to the bottom in there, dipping out the rest of the fish, that's when I noticed the gallon of antifreeze in the bottom of the pond," Patterson added.

Patterson first noticed that some of the fish were dying on November 27, then noted more died in the following days.  He also said, and deputies observed, that some of the fish had "red marks" on them indicating they may have been burned by something in the water. 

As to why something like this would happen, Patterson has no idea.

"We can't understand why because we've never had no problem with anybody over here before, we just can't understand why this has happened," Patterson said.

Patterson, who also sells and installs koi ponds, says he is now considering putting up security cameras to keep watch on the two large ponds in the front yard.

Anyone with information is asked to call Salisbury-Rowan Crime Stoppers at 1-866-639-JAIL (5245).