A St. Louis man is facing eight felonies after police say he sawed brass valves off 77 fire hydrants across the city and tried to sell the metal at a recycling facility. Sixty-five-year-old Harry Farmer was arrested Thursday and is being held in Illinois while awaiting extradition to Missouri.
The break in the case came from SA Recycling, where surveillance video and ID records captured the suspect attempting to sell the stolen valves. General manager Phillip Harbison cooperated with investigators, telling local media he simply doesn’t like thieves. St. Louis police and fire officials say disabling hydrants creates a major public safety risk, since those valves are essential when crews respond to fires.
Closer to home, the story is a good reminder for Suncoast residents. Scrap yards here keep similar records, and that paperwork helps investigators connect stolen metal to crime scenes. With hurricane season always on our minds, working fire hydrants are part of what keeps our neighborhoods safe. Have you ever spotted a damaged hydrant in your area? Let us know.
