Donations help SeaTac little league left without electricity after several break-ins

SEATAC, Wash. — Community donations poured in Monday for Pacwest Little League in SeaTac after it said thieves broke into a concession stand several times in the last week and stole electronics, food and stripped electrical wiring that has left baseball fields in the dark just a few months before the start of the upcoming season.

In surveillance video released to KIRO 7, an unidentified person is seen forcing themselves into the little league’s concession stand last Friday morning.

Another clip shows a person loading food from a refrigerator into a bin. The camera stops rolling when the person finds the breaker box and cuts the power.

Pacwest Little League President Thadeus Strzelecki said another break-in happened days later and told KIRO 7 the little league’s PA microphones were stolen, along with the surveillance system and other items. Electrical wiring and copper water piping were also targeted, Strzelecki said, leaving the fields without working electricity.

Several hundred kids play ball with them every year, according to Pacwest Little League, many from families struggling to make ends meet. Money from the concession stand helps cover costs for some kids to play.

“This is our bread and butter, this is how we make things affordable for kids,” said Strzelecki. “This is how we don’t charge outrageous prices to play baseball.”

Strzelecki said their facilities have been targeted repeatedly over the years. The little league said it’s now working with its insurance company to figure out exactly how much damage was done and what it will cost to make repairs.

Money raised through GoFundMe will not only help cover repairs and replacing stolen items but will also go toward scholarships and adding more security to the fields, Strzelecki said.

“It’s really frustrating because you want to ask these questions like, who would do that? Why would someone do that?” Said Britta Gidican, whose 6-year-old has played with Pacwest Little League for several years. “But you know why, it’s someone out there who’s not right in their mind.”

Port of Seattle Police are handling the investigation. No arrests have been announced.

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