ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A group of little leaguers might not get to play much longer at their own home field. The league president said that’s because a group of transients have taken over, trashing the facility.
“They broke through the wall out here and pushed the refrigerator so they could get in,” said Joshua Price.
Price said it happens almost every day. He finds something broken, missing, or even left behind at the Lobo Little League fields near Carlisle and Menaul.
“It’s kind of become a hideout for everyone who is wandering through town,” said Price.
Price, the president of the league, said homeless people have moved into the facility at night. He said it’s a 50-year-old facility run by all volunteers.
“The first thing I thought of is how are we going to overcome this,” said Price.
Wednesday morning, Price said he found the concession stand broken into, the food and drinks gone, and 30 cases of baseballs for next season stolen.
“If the concession stand isn’t there and all of a sudden we have so many vagrants that we don’t want to bring our kids here, then what could we do,” said Price.
But that’s not all, Price said they also cut part of the fence from the batting cage, then broke a window, and entered another building at the facility.
“So I’d say we’re at least in the $10,000 to $20,000 dollar range right now,” said Price.
Then there’s the needles left around the fields. Wednesday morning, Price said he even found a crate full of them.
“It’s something that can’t be here at a children’s facility,” said Price.
If the vagrancy and vandalism doesn’t stop immediately, Price said he doesn’t see how the league can keep going.
“I mean it means so much to a lot of people that come out here, all the time, and give a lot of their time,” said Price.
Price said he has reported the problems to the city and has received some help, but he plans on asking for more.
For more information on the league or to contact Price, click here.
