Information Needed In Grant Parish Trespassing & Chemical Vandalism Case

Agents with the Livestock Brand Commission of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF), in conjunction with the Grant Parish Sheriff’s Office, are asking for the public’s assistance in an agricultural pesticides vandalism case in Grant Parish. 

On April 18, in an agricultural field on the east side of the 700 block of Hwy 158 in Colfax, LA, property workers discovered that someone had tampered with valves on two large pesticide containers on a trailer and spilled the pesticides Glufosinate and Glyphosate on the ground. Some of the pesticides may have been stolen.  

The Grant Parish Sheriff’s Office requested the assistance of the LDAF Livestock Brand Commission with the investigation into criminal trespass and damage to property which resulted in the loss of pesticides with an estimated value of $17,000. Also, the LDAF Pesticide and Environmental Programs Division is assisting with the cleanup of the spilled pesticides. 

“The LDAF’s Livestock Brand Commission is committed to holding perpetrators responsible for this kind of senseless vandalism,” said Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Mike Strain, D.V.M. “Not only can their actions create hazards for the environment, but they also contribute to the loss of money, time, and energy for the affected landowner.”  

Anyone with information about this crime is asked to contact the LDAF Livestock Brand Commission at 1-800-558-9741 or the Grant Parish Sheriff’s Office at 318-627-3261. Anonymous reporting can also be done through the Grant Parish Sheriff’s Office website at www.grantso.org.  

You can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward if your tip results in the arrest and conviction of the responsible person(s). The reward is offered by the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation and the Louisiana Cattlemen’s Association. 

Note: All persons accused of any crime are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.