Ocean City Police Seeking Help in Identifying Group of Guys Caught on Video Harming Fish
The Ocean City, Maryland Police Department needs your help in identifying several individuals who were involved in an animal cruelty incident that occurred during the early morning hours of Saturday, July 1st. On Saturday, July 13, 2023, around 2:47 a.m., a group of five guys stopped at a home located in the 10 block of 77th Street. Surveillance video at the residence showed the group trespassing when they entered the privately fenced-in Koi fishpond area. The video showed them removing several fish from the pond, tossing them around, chasing each other, and using a shovel in the pond along with several other acts. One of the fish they removed did not survive. The group also appeared to be photographing and/or filming the incident.
Additional Information from the Ocean City Police Department:
The five suspects involved in this incident are described as the following:
- MALE #1: white male, approximately 18-25 years old, short cut light brown hair, wearing a black t-shirt with yellow writing on the front, dark blue shorts, and carrying a shovel.
- MALE #2: white male, approximately 18-25 years old, wearing a black ballcap, a gray t-shirt, gray shorts, and white Crocs.
- MALE #3: Hispanic male, approximately 18-25 years old, black hair, wearing a white t-shirt, and black shorts.
- MALE #4: Hispanic male, approximately 18-25 years old, with brown hair, wearing a white t-shirt, black shorts, and gray sneakers.
- MALE #5: Hispanic male, approximately 18-25 years old, with black hair, wearing a black t-shirt, gray pants, and carrying a beach chair.
The Ocean City Police Department originally posted still photos of the suspects on their social media accounts, in hopes that someone would recognize the individuals or the individuals would come forward. We recognize that the still photos are not the best clarity. We have uploaded the surveillance video to the Ocean City Police Departments YouTube page. The video is considered graphic and does show the individuals harming the fish. The Ocean City Police Department takes this matter seriously and is exhausting all of our efforts to bring the owners some closure and justice.
The video can be found here: https://youtu.be/SCkGVvea-ic
If you can identify any of the suspects in the video, please contact PFC E. Rhode at erhode@oceancitymd.gov, or you can contact the Ocean City Police Department at 410-723-6610. Anonymous tips may be left by calling 410-520-5136 or submitting a tip electronically at https://oceancitymd.gov/oc/departments/police/crime-tips. Please reference case number 2023-00-2813.
