MARYSVILLE — As of the afternoon of Aug. 18, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office didn’t know much about how dozens of swastikas appeared on hay bales sitting on a local farm.

Sheriff’s office Public Information Officer Rebecca Hover said officials learned of the appearance of the anti-Semitic symbols when a passerby on I-5 noticed them around 5:30 p.m., Aug. 17, and called officials.

Hover said the swastikas clearly were visible from the southbound freeway on a farm she described as sitting just south of the area of 136th Street NE and 34th Avenue NE.

According to Hover, the case was turned over to detectives in the county’s Criminal Analysis/Intelligence Unit for further investigation.

“We’re hoping someone comes forward with information,” Hover said. “These kinds of cases can be hard to solve.”

The property owner and the operators of the property are apparently two different parties. The property owner, MacAgnus Ranches Inc, could not be reached for immediate comment.

Anyone with information on the incident can call the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office at 425-388-3845.