Cumberland teen charged with ball field damage at Southview High School
HOPE MILLS, N.C. (WTVD) -- The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office has charged a Hope Mills teen with damaging school property after patrolmen said they witnessed him tearing up the ball fields at Southview High School.
Hope Mills police officers patrolling the area early Friday morning said they saw 19-year-old Greg Alan Beckman driving a Ford pickup truck on the practice field.
They said he drove through an open a gate, taking down fencing and fence posts. Beckman then tore into the practice field turf by doing donuts in the F-150.
School officials said Friday that the turf and fence damage is an estimated $600. They also have to test the irrigation system to make sure there is no further damage.
Principal Brian Edkins said he was glad Beckman was caught before he could damage the fields further. Edkins said he did not recognize the teen as a student, but would have to crosscheck records to make sure.
It's unclear why Beckman drove onto the field.
"Being in the business of young adults, sometimes they make decisions we don't understand and this may be one of them," said Edkins. "Why they'd come out to a nice field where kids practice and do damage like this [I don't know]."
Beckman now faces charges of damage to real property and trespassing. Bond was set at $1,000.
