The incident happened between 8:30 p.m. Wednesday and 8 a.m. Thursday at Martin Garden Center and was reported by an employee who came to work and discovered thousands of plants covered in orange herbicide.
“We are closed until further notice. Due to malicious and extensive vandalizing of our property we will be closed until investigations have concluded and new plant material has arrived,” according to a notice posted at the business located at 198 Martin Road.
The damage was believed to affect 15,000 plants for an estimated value of around $150,000. In addition to the suspect(s) spraying the herbicide on the plants, investigators learned that herbicide was also poured into a water tub that is used to feed their water supply.
The garden center staff are cleaning the plants and trying to remove the chemical. Plants permanently affected or die will replaced by new plants, according the business media release.
Greenville County Sheriff’s Office investigators haven’t been able to collect a valuable video surveillance and do not have any suspect information. Anyone who might have information regarding this incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers of Greenville at 23-CRIME.