OCEAN CITY POLICE SEEKING PUBLIC'S ASSISTANCE IN ANIMAL CRUELTY CASE

Ocean City, MD - The Ocean City Police Department is seeking the public's assistance in identifying multiple suspects in an animal cruelty case that occurred during the early morning hours of Saturday, July 1, 2023.On Saturday, July 13, 2023, around 2:47 a.m., a group of five males stopped at a residence located in the 10 block of 77^th Street. Surveillance video at the residence showed the group of males trespassing when they entered the privately fenced-in Koi fish pond area. The group of males was observed on the video removing several fish from the pond, tossing the fish around, chasing each other, and using a shovel in the pond, along with several other acts. One of the fish that was removed from the pond did not survive. The group of males appears to be photographing and/or filming this incident.The five suspects involved in this incident are described as the following:MALE #1: white male, approximately 18-25 years old, short cut light brown hair, wearing a black t-shirt with yellow writing on the front, dark blue shorts, and carrying a shovel.MALE #2: white male, approximately 18-25 years old, wearing a black ballcap, a gray t-shirt, gray shorts, and white Crocs.MALE #3: Hispanic male, approximately 18-25 years old, black hair, wearing a white t-shirt, and black shorts.MALE #4: Hispanic male, approximately 18-25 years old, with brown hair, wearing a white t-shirt, black shorts, and gray sneakers.MALE #5: Hispanic male, approximately 18-25 years old, with black hair, wearing a black t-shirt, gray pants, and carrying a beach chair.The Ocean City Police Department originally posted still photos of the suspects on their social media accounts, in hopes that someone would recognize the individuals or the individuals would come forward. We recognize that the still photos are not the best clarity. We have uploaded the surveillance video to the Ocean City Police Departments YouTube page. The video is considered graphic and does show the individuals harming the fish. The Ocean City Police Department takes this matter seriously and is exhausting all of our efforts to bring the owners some closure and justice.The video can be found and is restricted to 18+. Viewer discretion is advised.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCkGVvea-icIf you can identify any of the suspects in the video, please contact PFC E. Rhode at erhode@oceancitymd.gov, or you can contact the Ocean City Police Department at 410-723-6610. Anonymous tips may be left by calling 410-520-5136 or submitting a tip electronically at https://oceancitymd.gov/oc/departments/police/crime-tips. Please reference case number 2023-00-2813.All subjects mentioned in this press release are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.Update 7/25/2023 at 10:50 AM PETA is offering up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of these five men. who were recorded abusing koi fish in a privately owned pond.  © Eastern Shore Undercover LLC TM/SM. All Rights Reserved.