Soccer Club Pleads For Help Fighting Vandals, Break-Ins In Manchester

MANCHESTER, NJ — The Lakehurst-Manchester Soccer Association just wants it to stop.

The soccer club has been contending with costly vandalism for months now. Soccer goals were damaged early in the year. The club's bathrooms and equipment storage areas were vandalized as someone attempted to break into the building. Fields were damaged in March when someone tore across them in a vehicle.

But the most recent incident is the most brazen, club officials say: A group of people broke into the snack stand and stole bags of chips and other items last weekend. It is the fourth break-in at the snackstand, according to the club.

The thieves were caught on surveillance cameras but had their faces partially covered, as seen in photos posted by the club. The photos show what appears to be three or four people inside with flashlights rummaging through the stand.

Manchester Township police are investigating the break-ins and are hoping someone will step forward to identify those involved.

"The suspects are believed to be juveniles," Manchester police said in a post on the department's Facebook page. "Any information, please contact Detective Sergeant Christopher Hemhauser at 732.657.2009 Ext. 4207 or at chemhauser@manchestertwp.com."

The soccer club has previously said it is offering a reward for information that leads to the identity of those involved in causing the damage, which is costly for the nonprofit organization.

"All building and field maintenance at the association is handled by a small, dedicated group of volunteers," the club said in a post on the Patch in March, when the fields were damaged. "The volunteers continue to maintain the complex in order to ensure registration fees remain affordable for local families. Costly repairs may necessitate raising registration fees in order to continue to maintain the complex."

The soccer fields and snackstand are located on Colonial Drive, sandwiched between South Colonial Drive and Alexander Avenue and not far from Manchester Township High School.

Erik Myers, president of the Lakehurst Manchester Soccer Association, told ABC 7 in New York that it appears the suspects knew the club had just stocked up on snacks and drinks. The club held an alumni soccer game on Saturday, Aug. 6, and had purchased the items for the event, which raises money for scholarships for Manchester Township High School students.

The suspects damaged the stand and stole nearly $300 worth of items, according to a report by WOBM.com.

The WOBM report said the money raised by the stand also helps pay referees for the club's games.

Previous vandalism incidents have included spray-painted fields, broken fences, invasion and damage in the equipment storage room.

The damage in the March incident left one field unusable for the entire spring season, because the ruts caused were so bad.

"It's very frustrating. It's a lot of time and money," Myers told ABC.

Here are other photos of the suspects. The surveillance video, posted by CBS 2 in New York, appears below.

"If you see something, say something! Please help us maintain our fields and complex for the enjoyment of the players in our community!" soccer club officials said.