An Illinois man faces eight felony charges after authorities say he stole brass components from St. Louis fire hydrants, leaving firefighters unable to attach hoses and putting residents’ safety at risk.
Harry Glenn Farmer, 64, of Brighton, Illinois, was arrested Thursday, Oct. 1, following an investigation involving St. Louis police and the U.S. Marshals Service. He is charged with four counts of stealing $750 or more and four counts of first-degree property damage.
The arrest marks a development in an investigation into damaged hydrants in North St. Louis. St. Louis police have documented 43 instances, while the Fire Department has identified additional damaged hydrants. More charges could follow as investigators determine the full extent of the damage, police said.
Police said surveillance video showed Farmer sawing brass valves off hydrants, KSDK reported. Removing the fittings prevented firefighters from connecting hoses, threatening their access to water during a fire.
Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson said crews developed a temporary method to draw water from the damaged hydrants.
“It’s not ideal, but we have a workaround,” Jenkerson said, according to Spectrum News. He said firefighters could still obtain water from the affected hydrants while emphasizing the risk the damage created for the public and fire crews.
According to St. Louis Magazine’s reporting on a police probable cause statement, Farmer allegedly began stealing the valves Sept. 11 and sold the brass components for cash to a scrap metal recycler. Police identified Farmer through a driver’s license he presented when selling the valves, according to the magazine. The stolen valves were recovered from the recycler.
Repairs were estimated to cost the city between $5,000 and $8,000 per hydrant. The investigation remains ongoing.