Deputies Seek Suspect Who Rammed Treatment Plant With Tractor

BONNEY LAKE, WA — Pierce County sheriff's detectives are searching for a suspect who used a front-loader tractor to smash walls and damage vehicles at the Tehaleh Wastewater Treatment Plant last week. The sheriff's department said the unidentified person broke into the facility shortly before 1 a.m. on Tuesday, April 14.

According to investigators, the suspect tore through fences and gates, destroying several steel roll-up doors, broke holes in walls, and damaged pipes, causing some buildings to flood. The suspect then drove the tractor off the side of a hill and ran away from the property.

Detectives said the suspect did not enter the buildings or steal anything, and operations at the plant were not interrupted.

Anyone with information on the crime can contact the sheriff's department via private message or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. A reward of up to $1,000 is being offered for information that leads directly to the suspect's arrest.