Vandalism spree leaves Ocean Spray with $200,000 price tag

BABCOCK – The vandalism spree that caused Ocean Spray's Babcock receiving station to close for the weekend and divert its fruit deliveries to Tomah last week resulted in $200,000 worth of damages to the cranberry company and its surrounding facilities, authorities say.

On Wednesday night, two 14-year-old Babcock-area boys ransacked the Babcock Cafe, one residence and the Ocean Spray receiving station, 522 Necedah Road, according to authorities. The Wood County Sheriff's Department initially estimated all of the damage — which consisted of broken vending machines, shattered windows and an overturned pickup truck at just Ocean Spray— to be easily over $100,000, but the property loss was much more extensive.

Physical damage to the Ocean Spray facility's interior and exterior was not the only loss. Though the site now reopened, some workers were furloughed and lost wages during the two days the facility was shut down.

Ocean Spray employees who weren't able to work incurred an estimated $5,000 in lost wages, Lt. Quentin Ellis said.

"We have reopened and are working ... to resume normal operations," said Ocean Spray spokesperson Kellyanne Dignan in an email to the Daily Tribune. "We did have some furloughs during the two days we were completely shut down."

First reports of the vandalism were called into the Wood County Sheriff's Department at 5:51 a.m. Thursday. Later that afternoon, interviews were conducted, the teens confessed and they were arrested.

Wood County Sheriff Thomas Reichert told the Daily Tribune Friday that the boys would be charged with burglary, criminal damage of property and operating a motor vehicle without an owner's consent — though there is the possibility of more charges.

The two teens admitted to drinking prior to the incident.

"It would seem that the bad choices sort of snowballed after that," Reichert said.

In addition to Ocean Spray, Babcock Cafe also endured acute property damage, although the owner told the Daily Tribune they were weeks away from figuring out the exact dollar amount the vandalism spree would cost the restaurant.

Through a large effort on behalf of its workers, the Babcock Cafe was able to reopen this past weekend for Warrens Cranberry Festival, an event that draws a lot of customers to the eatery.

As for whether or not the two boys will have to pay restitution for the damages they incurred, Ellis said in this circumstance it's likely.

"It is a standard practice if someone experiences a loss, that the person responsible for that be subjected to some amount of restitution," Ellis said.