Vandals hit Pat Murphy Little League Field hard
Last year, it was the floods. Now this year, it’s the vandals. For the second year in a row, Susanville’s Little League program faces a major disruption.
The vandals probably entered the building at Pat Murphy Field through this window near the Major League backstop.According to a statement from the Susanville Police Department, someone entered the building at Pat Murphy Field and “caused extensive damage to the snack bar and announcement booth of the structure” during the evening of Saturday, Feb. 3 or the early morning hours of Sunday, Feb. 4. Anyone with information about the vandalism is asked to call the SPD at 257-5603.
An old Susanville Little League trophy, won by local kids many years ago, was destroyed by vandals.Ben Moore, Susanville Little League’s president wrote on Facebook, “The clubhouse (and) snack bar at Pat Murphy Field were extensively damaged. The vandals destroyed everything from windows to refrigerators and even cabinets, trophies, umpire gear and tools.”
Moore estimated the damage to be about $5,000, and he thought the police department did a great job investigating the vandalism. He said a crew from the city of Susanville also responded to help clean up the mess and begin repairs. He said the city crew has been making repairs and upgrading the facility ever since last year’s flood.
“We’re really excited about what the city has been doing,” Moore said. “We really appreciate that.”
Moore said it appears the vandals threw rocks through the windows, climbed a backstop and then entered the building.
“They ended up breaking trophies we had from years and years ago,” Moore said. “They went downstairs and opened buckets of paint and splashed paint on the cabinets and our Susanville Little League merchandize. The pried all the locks off the cabinets in the back.”
Apparently, the vandals didn’t steal anything, they just were intent upon destruction.
Moore also said he didn’t know why, but the vandals left “a bunch of shotgun shells laying on the floor.”
He said the shotgun shells were empty, and it didn’t make any sense that they were left there.
Moore said the vandalism incident is very frustrating.
This photo shows green footprints left on the floor and some mysterious spent shotgun shells the vandals left behind.“I’m not upset for myself as the Little League president,” Moore told the newspaper, “I’m upset for these kids, because now it’s once again we have to go back and redo stuff and pour a bunch of time and energy into this place. It seems to just never stop.”
“Less than one year ago Susanville Little League suffered one of the most devastating floods in recorded history,” Moore wrote on Facebook. “Those floods ravaged the fields and facilities causing thousands of dollars in damages. Thanks to the generous donations of businesses and community members, Susanville Little League was able to continue to provide Little League Baseball to over 400 youth in our community. Susanville Little League is once again in need of support from the community.”
According to the league’s Facebook page, “Sometime between Feb. 2 and Feb. 4, the clubhouse /snack bar at Pat Murphy Field was extensively vandalized. Susanville Little League is reaching out to our amazing community once again and asking if anyone has information on who committed this senseless act against the local Little League, they could contact Susanville Police Department.”
