Dozens of fish killed in motor lodge koi pond were poisoned by long-term guest: cops
Almost 50 fish turned up dead when a long-term hotel guest allegedly poisoned a koi pond outside a Rhode Island motor lodge owned by a state senator’s wife, according to officials.
The underwater massacre happened at the Stone House Motor Inn after Jeffrey Gronski allegedly dumped Miracle-Gro into the pond filled with pet fish last Thursday, WCVB reported.
The owner of the inn since 2008, Heidi Weston Rogers, is married to Rhode Island State Sen. Gordon Rogers. She told The Post Tuesday the 59-year-old culprit allegedly carried out the “malicious act” after he was told by hotel staff to tidy up the outside of the room.
“He can be stubborn and a little belligerent,” Rogers said of Gronski, who has been there for six years. “But nothing major, nothing that rose to something like this.”
Rogers got a call Thursday from her manager that the fountains in the pond were green and the fish were all floating. With the help of surveillance cameras, a suspect was identified, Rogers said.
Authorities were called and Gronski was arrested. He is now facing malicious injury or killing of animals charges, WCVB reported.
The owner said Gronski was quickly kicked out of the hotel and lost his dog after authorities took it in light of the charges.
Rogers posted photos and video on Facebook that showed the dead fish –18 Koi and about 30 Goldfish — as they were buried in a freshly dug grave.
She noted how her grandchildren grew up feeding the fish — some of which were 15 years old.
“My hope is that he’s found guilty,” Rogers said. “And that he’s held accountable because that was heartless, it was cruel and it was malicious and intentional.”
“Some people may say they’re just fish, it’s not like a cat or a dog, but they were like our pets,” she said.
