Neighbors around Lindale Middle School woke up to a mess on the fields after what police say was a wild off-road joyride that chewed up three athletic surfaces and left them scarred with deep ruts.
Anne Arundel County officers say they discovered the damage on April 6 after checking the Lindale sports complex on Andover Road following a vandalism report. Investigators believe an off-road vehicle was driven across the lacrosse, practice, and baseball fields sometime during the April 3 to 5 weekend, and the case remains under investigation as detectives look for more clues and camera footage from nearby homes.
How police say the damage unfolded
Investigators reviewed surveillance video that, according to FOX45, showed a red-and-black off-road vehicle speeding across the fields. On April 5 at about 11:30 p.m., an officer spotted a mud-covered vehicle that matched that description on Nursery Road heading toward B&A Boulevard and pulled it over, issuing the driver multiple traffic citations.
Police later tied that vehicle to the field damage and identified the driver as 32-year-old Benjamin Finney of Linthicum Heights, according to the station. Finney was charged by criminal summons with malicious destruction of property and two counts of trespassing, FOX45 reported.
Fields, repairs and school context
Lindale Middle School, a STEM magnet located at 415 Andover Road, serves students in grades 6 through 8, according to Anne Arundel County Public Schools. The outdoor fields pull double duty for school athletics and community recreation, so torn-up turf and rutted ground can throw a wrench into practices and games while the district schedules repairs.
Lindale has already been included in county renovation planning, per local reporting, which means any extra field work now has to fit into that broader timeline.
Detectives ask neighbors for help
Anne Arundel County detectives are asking anyone who saw something, heard something, or caught the vehicle on a doorbell or security camera to reach out. Tips can go to Northern District detectives at 410-222-6135, or to the department's anonymous tip line at 410-222-4700, according to the Anne Arundel County Police Department reporting page.
The department's site also outlines online reporting and non-emergency contact options for residents. Detectives say the investigation is ongoing and that more information will be released as evidence comes in.
What comes next
Finney was charged by criminal summons, and those charges are allegations, not proof of guilt. Any penalties for malicious destruction of property and trespass will depend on how prosecutors decide to file the case and what a court ultimately rules.
County officials say they will share updates as investigators confirm new details about the late-night ride that tore up Lindale's fields.
