ST JAMES, Mo. — Police in St. James, Missouri, are looking for vandals who trashed — and even urinated on — youth football equipment.
The St. James Youth Football Club discovered the mess Monday when they opened their shed to start summer football camp.
"They shot it with pellets and stuff,” team president Beau Moreland said as he walked through the door.
The vandals poured bathroom disinfectant on uniforms, pads and helmets, and they urinated on them, too.
"There's a urine smell,” Moreland said. "Everything's gonna have to be treated.”
The team is still calculating the loss, and they’re discovering new things that are missing.
"Like footballs, they took two bags of footballs, where those are at I have no idea,” Moreland said.
The players have their own ideas of who may be responsible.
"Probably some teenager that thought it was like a funny joke,” Blake Gibson said.
But the police chief said there's nothing funny about it. He said the vandals likely struck sometime within the last two weeks.
"This isn't something little. This isn't something minor. they're damaging someone's property, and they're putting things on hold with this youth football league,” Chief Ron Jones said.
The team — and the community — are making sure the kids don't miss a beat.
At least one person handed cash to a coach at camp Tuesday. The Tall Tine Barbershop announced it’s hosting a fundraiser on Monday. And Phelps County Bank is setting up an account to accept donations. If you want to help, just let them know you're contributing to St. James Youth Football.
"It's amazing to see how many people support it and are willing to help out in any way, shape or form,” Moreland said.