TAMPA, Fla. — A Tampa Little League is supposed to be holding practice Thursday night. League officials say the practice may not happen after vandals tore up their baseball field.
The field is now left with the deep tears in the grass and crumbling clay. It is a safety hazard for children.
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"Seems like it’s the worst of it. They came in from our infield," said Katie Roman, pointing out the damage. "It’s just, yeah it’s frustrating I mean it’s like gosh."
An unknown driver took a joyride through West Tampa Little League's baseball field at the expense of the nearly 200 kids that play there.
"It looks like they did a couple of donuts," said Roman. "More than half the kids don’t pay a registration fee and they can’t afford to pay the registration fee."
It is why she, her husband and player's parents work the concession stand themselves. They also have five volunteers who take care of trash cleanup and the kids pitch in, too. All the money goes back into the field and those players.
"I stepped out today and was actually admiring the fact that people have something like this to enjoy," said Joseph Rose, who moved into this house Tuesday. "I just hope that somebody takes the time to actually think this stuff through next time"
Rose and other neighbors are now keeping a closer eye out for potential vandals. Roman says the baseball field has security cameras, but the WiFi does not allow them to put the cameras on the side of the field where the damage occurred.
"Have respect, just have respect," said Roman, who hopes the people who did this take that message to heart, and realize the true impact.
The park is open to the public. She hopes people take care of it.
"Treat this like it was yours," said Roman.
Roman is hoping someone caught the act on a home surveillance camera and reports the vandalism to police.
