$20,000 in gear stolen from Sutter Buttes Little League

A break-in at buildings of the Sutter Buttes Little League field in Yuba City means the loss of about $20,000 in baseball equipment, snack bar supplies, propane and other goods, league officials say.

"They stole anything you can think of," Heather Shelton said Friday. "It goes on and on."

"The only place they didn't break into was the bathroom and one other storage area," Shelton said.

The break-in at the Market Street site is believed to have taken place between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, said Danielle Grace, a past president of the local Little League.

"It's just insane to take away from the kids like that," Grace said. "I don't understand people."

Yuba City police believe the thief entered through a rear chain-link fence, police spokeswoman Shawna Pavey said.

"It looks like they entered the equipment room and the snackbar," Pavey said.

Fawn Dulai, the league president, said the buildings were secure. Entry was made by taking off a swamp cooler and climbing through a vent on the roof, Dulai said. Most of the baseball equipment for players, including practice mitts and catchers gear, was stolen, she said.

"It's heartbreaking," Dulai said.

About 500 players participate in the Sutter Buttes Little League.

The break-in included the theft of a lawn mower and a 4-wheel quad runner used to maintain the baseball fields. Thieves tried to open the safe but were unsuccessful, league officials said.

Packets of sugar and ketchup were also stolen in the break-in. Shelton said the snack bar is covered with foam from a fire extinguisher that was also stolen.

"It's really going to take some man hours to make everything right," she said.

Winter baseball ended about three weeks ago and play was set to resume in March, Shelton said.

"It's a very big loss," Shelton said.

But, she added, baseball will resume in the spring.

Nothing, she said, "is going is to keep us from playing."

CONTACT Ryan McCarthy at rmccarthy@appealdemocrat.com or 749-4780. Find him on Facebook at /ADrmccarthy or on Twitter at @ADrmccarthy.