After Hug High School discovered hundreds of dollars worth of baseball equipment stolen, the community has stepped up to the plate.
Roughly $1,500 worth of baseballs, bats and uniforms were stolen from the equipment shed at Hug High School late last month. While school police continue to search for the missing gear, the team has been fielding calls from people who want to donate.
It didn't even take a full 24 hours before the athletic director collected every single penny lost. The theft brought the community together, with local businesses and residents giving generous donations after they found out about the burglary.
On June 27, a person walking by the baseball field first noticed there had been a burglary in the equipment shed at Hug High School. That's when school police were called to investigate.
"It was an obvious break in. The front of the shed had been broken into and you could tell very quickly that somebody had gained access to the shed," said Sgt. Jeff Redmond with Washoe County School District Police.
Investigators believe the crime was committed during the weekend of June 25-26, but they don't have any leads.
Trent Vass, the Head Baseball Coach at Hug High added, "Someone had pried open the siding of our score booth and stolen about $1500 worth of equipment out of there."
The thief took gloves, baseballs, bats and uniforms donated by the local non-profit, Joshua L. Anderson Memorial Foundation.
The near gear was something the team felt proud of after mismatched jerseys from the past years. The team was devastated to learn everything was taken.
Vass said, "It's really upsetting to them that someone would come in and do this from the community."
But others from the community stepped up after learning about the stolen equipment.
"We were able to get enough money from some generous donors to secure the equipment that we need," said Vass.
Now the players are excited for the next season of baseball.
"It's kind of a big deal for us. We got our first win in several years. Scoring a ton of runs this season so we're excited about the future with this equipment," said Vass.
The school still hopes the person who stole the equipment will return it or someone with information will come forward.
"Somebody saw something and somebody knows something," said Redmond.
You can remain anonymous and contact Secret Witness at (775) 322-4900. They are offering a $500 reward leading to the arrest of the suspect or suspects involved.
