$8K in koi, goldfish stolen in Gwinnett County

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Someone stole about $8,000 worth of koi and goldfish from a Lawrenceville garden center last week, Crime Stoppers Greater Atlanta said.

The fish were discovered missing from Randy’s Perennials and Water Gardens on Friday, Nov. 9, when early morning staff arrived, owner David Waters told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The theft is believed to have taken place between Nov. 8 and 9.

At least 80 fish were stolen, the most expensive of which were two koi worth $1,000 each. Six other fish worth $300 apiece were also taken.

Waters and the store’s staff have photos of many of the stolen fish and may be able to identify them by unique physical markers, he said in a Facebook post.

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Waters had noticed the area where the fish were kept looking “disheveled” the previous Thursday, but didn’t think much of it at the time.

“We kind of chalked it up to raccoons,” Waters said.

But when workers arrived Friday morning, they found entire bins and aquariums emptied of the fish, which are used in special ponds that can be the centerpiece of a landscaped yard or garden. Waters is not sure what the thieves would want with the fish but believes it must have taken multiple people a significant amount of time to capture and move dozens of fish overnight.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the Lawrenceville Police Department at 770-963-2443 or Crime Stoppers at 404-577-8477.

Crime Stoppers tips may be rewarded with up to $2,000 if they lead to an arrest or indictment. You can also provide information to Waters at 770-822-0676.

This article was written by Amanda C. Coyne, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

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