On Saturday, February 7th, a man named Jonathan Maurer intentionally hit Tahoe Titans team members and team parents who were fundraising for a tournament with his truck.
The incident sent four people to the hospital, a mix of parents and players and one little brother of a player. Police say the injuries were non-life-threatening.
Truckee Police say Maurer was arrested.
It happened near the front entrance of the Safeway on Donner Pass just before 3 p.m.
Bree Waters, the team manager of the Tahoe Titans Travel Ball Team, and team mother Camille Land said this was the team's first fundraiser of the season.
Land went on to tell us about the events leading up to the incident: "They were selling jerky outside of Safeway, just having fun and being kids, and this gentleman came by, walking in, put his cigarette out on their table, and then, walking out, mumbled something under his breath—nobody knows what he said—and then he came up from behind; the boys, they didn't even see him coming with his truck, and he intentionally ran them over."
Waters then told us, "He hit the three moms and then four boys. There were three baseball players and one little brother."
Those who were taken to the hospital were released Saturday night.
Waters told us they talked to the families involved.
"The mom sustained quite a few injuries. Yesterday, I think probably the shock started to wear off, and the pain medication started to wear off, and reality started to set in, so today has been a lot harder than it was yesterday."
They say the other boys on the team are taking it hard, and the littlest boy involved is taking it the hardest.
Waters tells us, "The little one is still... we're still trying to figure out what's going on, and he has a broken wrist, so there are a lot of broken bones, bruises, stitches, staples, and a lot of trauma at this point."
Fortunately, no one was killed.
They also told us no one had any ties to this man who hit them with his truck.
Waters says, "The moms that were there said they could just feel the anger and hatred coming from him. For whatever reason, the boys triggered him."
Maurer is facing charges of assault with a deadly weapon likely to produce great bodily injury, felony vandalism, and violation of post-release community supervision terms. The investigation is ongoing.
Waters says, "I just pray that the judge doesn't let him out. I really hope that they listen, and they listen to us, and they understand the gravity of this. They tried to hurt our boys once, and they're all very scared. Now that it's all out on social media, everyone knows who we are. I just hope they take that into consideration and keep him where he is."
If you would like to help support the Tahoe Titans Travel Ball Team to send them to their seven-day tournament in New York and to help with the families involved in the incidents' medical bills, you can click the link to their GoFundMe here.
