Residents at a New Jersey inn saw their summer ruined after a man used a drone to drop green dye into their pool repeatedly, leaving kids and adults alike sobbing in the heat.
Patrick Spina IV, 45, was arrested Monday in Absecon after allegedly terrorizing local pools for months with sea dye, transforming the clear blue water into a nasty neon green.
Sandra Woolstion, operator and general manager of the Quality Inn in Galloway Township, said her customers have been targeted dozens of times since late June, ruining their summer fun.
“The girls are standing here like, ‘Oh my God we want to go swim. Some of them were crying,” she told ABC 6. “I was like, ‘Are you kidding me?!’ I myself cried. I went into my office and I had a meltdown.”
All together, Woolstion said it cost her several thousands of dollars to repair the pool, as the sea dye caused serious damage to the concrete base.
Along with the inn, Absecon Police said they got a similar report from a homeowner on Aug. 13 who was swimming in his pool when it suddenly turned green.
The investigation found that several other pools in Absecon and Galloway were hit with the same dye throughout the summer, with police discovering that the pranks were being done via drone.
Working with the Federal Aviation Administration, police spotted the offending drone flying on Sept. 1, with officials tracking it to Spina’s Comfort Solutions Heating and Cooling office at 345 E. White Horse Pike, in Galloway.
Spina was booked on multiple counts of criminal mischief and has since been released from prison on a summons pending court proceedings.
The FAA warned that Spina could face fines of more than $30,000 over the incidents and would likely have his drone certification suspended or revoked.
“FAA regulations prohibit the unsafe or unauthorized operation of any aircraft. We encourage the public to report unauthorized drone operations to local law enforcement to help discourage this dangerous illegal activity,” the agency said in a statement.
A representative for Spina did not comment on the case, but told ABC 6 his client is cooperating with authorities.
Officials have called on anyone else in the Absecon and Galloway areas to contact police if they, too, have been a victim of the green dye prank this summer.