BRISTOL — Vermont State Police are investigating two separate incidents of grand larceny from this past week in Bristol — one at Four Hills Farm and another at Lathrop Forest Products — and they may have a suspect for the Four Hills theft.
The farm reported to VSP that three of its Honda ATVs were stolen early on Wednesday, Aug. 24, between the hours of 1 and 3 a.m. Although the farm family members initially told the police that four ATVs were stolen, they later realized that only three were missing.
Chanin Hill of Four Hills Farm explained on the Front Porch Forum electronic newsletter that the ATVs are used daily and “there is a very small opportunity for them to have been stolen as the barn has someone in it 22 hours a day.”
VSP identified and returned the three ATVs Thursday night. According to Trooper Lewis Hatch, the ATVs were found in Monkton at a Hardscrabble Road home. VSP have not yet made public the home’s location.
Hatch said police have leads about who stole the ATVs, and he believes an arrest could be made this week.
On Aug. 25 VSP were told of the theft from the Lathrop lumber mill off Hewitt Road. Stolen were 40 to 50 24-inch steel pads designed to be attached to bulldozer treads. The pads were stolen from a wooden pallet at the mill. The total estimated value of these pads is around $2,000.
Hatch was asked if there was a possible relation between these two crimes,
“The (criminals) are likely not related, but the crimes are likely related for similar reasons. It all tends to stem from drugs and that sort of stuff,” he said. “They sell stuff for scrap.”
Reporter Andrew Stein is at [email protected].