Man Accused Of Burning Biden-Harris Hay Display Held Without Bail

DALTON (CBS) – A man accused of setting hay bales, painted in support of presidential candidate Joe Biden, on fire is being held without bail. Lonnie Durfee, 49, of Dalton, was arraigned in Berkshire District Court Tuesday.

He was charged with burning personal property. A dangerousness hearing was scheduled for Friday.

Hay bales with a political message were set on fire in Dalton (Image credit Megan Whilden)

The incident occurred last Friday at Holiday Brook Farm in Dalton.

Farm owner Dicken Crane had arranged 19 oversized hay bales on farmland alongside Route 9, and painted them to read: "Biden-Harris 2020." One day later, the display was lit on fire.

A Biden-Harris display at Holiday Brook Farm was vandalized (WBZ-TV)

"The person that did it, he was bragging about it. [He] had thrown motor oil all over the bales. He couldn't get the motor oil to light, so he left to go get gasoline," Crane told WBZ-TV. "He came back, and threw the gas on, and lit it."

Crane and his crew have since rebuilt the sign. This time it reads: "Love, Unity, Respect."