Plover police still looking for leads in Lake Pacawa incident
By Brandi Makuski
Plover Police Chief Ryan Fox his department hasn’t seen much in the way of tips on some property damage that occured last month at Lake Pacawa Park.
The department asked the public for help earlier this month in identifying suspects who caused damage at the park by shooting off fireworks.
Officers were notified by a nearby resident shortly before 9 p.m. on Feb. 21 that someone was shooting off fireworks in the park.
According to the incident report, officers captured photos of the damage, and found a “mortar-style multi-shot firework brick” directly underneath a new metal gazebo structure in the park.
The brick was lying on a metal grate with a plastic coating. The grate and the inside of the gazebo suffered some burn marks and discoloration, the report said.
Fox said detectives have video footage from surveillance cameras within the park that show part of the incident, but no clear image of the two suspects.
The footage shows a silver or gray pickup truck entering the parking lot with its lights off at about 8:49 p.m. Two young men, believed to be high school- or college-aged, Fox said, are seen exiting the vehicle and approaching the playground area.
About a minute later, several loud pops are heard combined with a series of flashes on the video. The two young men are seen running back to the vehicle, with one appearing to be filming a video of the event on a cell phone. The vehicle then left the park with its lights off, the report said.
Fox said detectives have eliminated several persons of interest, and have studied traffic cameras in the area, but have not been able to develop any new leads.
“I know it’s not the crime of the century, but our village staff have to spend time dealing with this, and this is what municipalities have to think about when they put in nice things like this for the community,” Fox said. “Whoever they are, they were filming it, so somebody out there knows something.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact local law enforcement at 715-346-1500, or by sending a tip to Crime Stoppers.
Tipsters can remain anonymous and still be eligible for a cash reward. The Portage Co. Crime Stoppers said tipsters can send information by phone at 888-436-6600 or via the P3 app:
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details…
iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/p3-tips/id997141662
Online Reporting: http://www.p3tips.com/1301
