Crime & Safety
Something's Fishy: 400 Koi Fish Nabbed by Disguised Thieves
Roughly 400 koi fish were stolen from a corporate pond in Herndon.
This article was written by Erica R. Hendry. Jennifer Van Der Kleut reported.
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime, the proverb goes.
There's no sage advice about taking fish, but two men wanted by Fairfax County Police are set for quite the feast after taking tens of dozens of Koi fish — 400, to be exact — from a corporate office pond in Herndon. And an expensive feast at that.
The alleged heist wasn't a big-net free for all. Instead, police say, the two men posed as pond maintenance workers, and over several days this month, smuggled the fish off the company's property near 2411 Dulles Corner Park.
There was some suspicion about the story: Employees told police the men said they were removing unhealthy fish from the pond and "leaving the healthy ones behind."
Still, the unhealthy fish being scooped into large coolers didn't raise red flags. At first.
But after four visits from the men on June 8, 9, 15 and 16, "employees realized that the men were not who they claimed to be" and contacted police.
Aside from the prospect of a good meal, koi fish can also rake in a fortune. Depending on their size and attractiveness, koi fish can range from dirt cheap to wildly expensive. According to the websites of many fish sellers, smaller koi fish between 4 and 6 inches in length can go for $3 to $5 each. But larger fish can reach prices of $15 to $30 each - and the prices of those imported directly from Japan can reach into the hundreds and even thousands of dollars.
Police said the suspected fish thieves were described as white and wore sunglasses. One was overweight and around 5 feet 5 inches tall. Both men appeared to be in their 50s.
Anyone who may have seen anyone fitting this description, on these dates, in this area, is asked to contact Detective S.D. Gaydos at the Fair Oaks Police District, at 703-591-0966, ext. 5004, or to call Crime Solvers by phone at 1-866-411-TIPS(8477), by e-mail at www.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org, by texting “TIP187” plus your message to CRIMES(274637) or by calling Fairfax County Police at 703-691-2131.
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime, the proverb goes.
There's no sage advice about taking fish, but two men wanted by Fairfax County Police are set for quite the feast after taking tens of dozens of Koi fish — 400, to be exact — from a corporate office pond in Herndon. And an expensive feast at that.
The alleged heist wasn't a big-net free for all. Instead, police say, the two men posed as pond maintenance workers, and over several days this month, smuggled the fish off the company's property near 2411 Dulles Corner Park.
There was some suspicion about the story: Employees told police the men said they were removing unhealthy fish from the pond and "leaving the healthy ones behind."
Still, the unhealthy fish being scooped into large coolers didn't raise red flags. At first.
But after four visits from the men on June 8, 9, 15 and 16, "employees realized that the men were not who they claimed to be" and contacted police.
Aside from the prospect of a good meal, koi fish can also rake in a fortune. Depending on their size and attractiveness, koi fish can range from dirt cheap to wildly expensive. According to the websites of many fish sellers, smaller koi fish between 4 and 6 inches in length can go for $3 to $5 each. But larger fish can reach prices of $15 to $30 each - and the prices of those imported directly from Japan can reach into the hundreds and even thousands of dollars.
Police said the suspected fish thieves were described as white and wore sunglasses. One was overweight and around 5 feet 5 inches tall. Both men appeared to be in their 50s.
Anyone who may have seen anyone fitting this description, on these dates, in this area, is asked to contact Detective S.D. Gaydos at the Fair Oaks Police District, at 703-591-0966, ext. 5004, or to call Crime Solvers by phone at 1-866-411-TIPS(8477), by e-mail at www.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org, by texting “TIP187” plus your message to CRIMES(274637) or by calling Fairfax County Police at 703-691-2131.
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