The bleachers at the little league baseball field at Julien Elementary School were taken out of the ballgame early Thursday morning.
Thieves are believed to have made off with the seats from the aluminum bleachers some time between 12 midnight and 7:00 a.m. on Thursday morning.
However, the bleachers have already been repaired as the Turlock Firefighters Local 2434 and Turlock Associated Police Officers donated the funds to have the bleachers replaced. Turlock Firefighters also donated their time and labor on Saturday, when they sanded and painted the new bleachers.
The funds for the bleachers came from the “Random Acts of Kindness” Fund, made possible by community donations during boot drives and crab feeds.
Due to the theft, Turlock American Little League’s “Opening Day” is being pushed back one week to Mar. 8, according to the Turlock American Little League website.
Turlock police currently have no suspects or leads on the theft, but it is believed that the bleachers were stolen to sell the aluminum for recycling money, said Turlock Police Department spokesperson Officer Mayra Lewis.
The little league ballpark is located on N. Johnson Road, next to Julien Elementary School.
Anyone with information on the theft is asked to contact Turlock Police at 209-668-5550.
