Vandals Must Pay to Repair Youth Soccer Fields - ABC6 - Providence, RI and New Bedford, MA News, Weather

Vandals Must Pay to Repair Youth Soccer Fields

By Mark Curtis

mcurtis@abc6.com

     It was a horrible crime because it targeted where kids like to play, and a lot of damage was done.
     Now there is some good news from the Town of Johnston about repairing some heavily damaged athletic fields.

    Finally the soccer fields in Johnston - damaged by vandals almost four months ago - will be fixed. The two men responsible, will pay a total of 13 thousand dollars to the town as restitution:

     Mayor Joe Polisena,(D) Johnston says, "They'll be no taxpayer money spent, nor should there be any taxpayer's money. This was nothing more than a malicious vindictive act. This wasn't about teenagers having fun. This was something very nasty."

     The Mayor credits good police work in cracking the case. 18 year old Costanzo Capparrelli and 18 year old Raymond Zinno pleaded "No Contest" after they were seen on surveillance video vandalizing the fields in an SUV:

     ABC 6 Reporter Mark Curtis says "Not only do the two men convicted in this case have to pay to repair the damage to the field, they will also have to come out here during soccer games this year and perform there community service in front of everyone."

     The fields were so damaged - that all games since then - had to be moved to other locations in Town. Stephanie Manzi is a Town Councilor and a youth soccer coach.

     Councilwoman Manzi says, "My children were very upset. We had a conversation about it. They couldn't believe that someone would actually come up here and vandalize such a beautiful field. They couldn't understand why. And it was hard to explain why6 someone would actually do that."

     Johnston will now put the field repairs out for bid, with hopes the athletic fields will be ready to use by next fall.