Hooper Park ballpark fences damaged by off-roading pickup

A criminal mischief investigation is underway after a vehicle ran through the fences at the Hooper Park baseball fields.

At about 6 a.m., Sunday Dec. 19, a vehicle identified as a pickup truck on video from the Lincoln School apparently ran through the chain-link fence around the west baseball field at Hooper Park, did a couple circles on the field before driving out through a different section of the fence. The vehicle also ran through the gate in the fence around the east baseball field and did a few more circles before driving back out, leaving part of the gate laying in the parking lot.

After leaving the park, the pickup drove onto the Lincoln School Football Field at 6:30 a.m., where they were caught on video. School custodian Derek Perez said they did a few donuts on the field, took a lap around the track and drove back across the field. He said they won't know until spring if the joyride damaged any of the turf or created ruts in the field.

After a three-day investigation Lewis and Clark County Deputy Sherriff Robert Rivera identified a person of interest with the help of community members who knew the person who normally drives the vehicle seen in the video.

Rivera contacted the individual, whose name he didn't provide since no charges have yet been filed, and took his statement. The sheriff's office is working with the county on a repair estimate for the fences at the park, which will decide the severity of the crime.

Tracks were also left in the snow at the property owned by the Upper Blackfoot Valley Historical Society just west of the school, but it's not known if they were related to the damage at the park. The tracks there showed that a vehicle drove into the middle of the property from the highway but hit a low spot, turned around and drove back out again without causing any apparent damage.

The stop sign at the corner of D Street and Stemple also appeared to have been driven over at some point, and damage was reported to the gates at the Ponderosa snow Warriors parking areas on Copper Creek Road, but Rivera said there isn't a connection between those incidents and the park damage.