Break-in at Recreation Complex

Concession stand ransacked, total damage unknown

Jason Evans
Staff Writer

EASLEY - Vandals broke into a building at the J.B. “Red” Owens Complex Monday night, causing an untold amount of damage.

“This is just disgusting,” Recreation Department Director Gregg Powell said after hearing of the break-in.

The break-in occurred sometime after 9:30 p.m. Monday night, Powell said.

The damage occurred in the Three Fields Building, the building that houses the concession stand for the Complex’s baseball field.

Maintenance Supervisor Melvin Aiken and his crew noticed the damage at around 8:15 Tuesday morning and called the Easley Police Department.

Police officers were on the scene within minutes, assessing the damage and checking for fingerprints.

The other facilities were in the Complex appeared to be undamaged, Powell said.

Powell, Aiken and City Administrator Fox Simons walked through the scene, taking in the vandalism.


The vandals climbed up a gazebo adjacent to the building to gain access to the roof.

Once on the roof, they used a rock to break in to the building.

The damage extended to all floors of the building.

The walls of the upper floor were spray-painted, including the paintings of past players that decorated the building.

Many windows and panes of glass were broken, including the window of Aiken’s office and the building’s information bulletin board.

The concession stand was ransacked with drinks and candy taken.

The vandals took the building’s two fire extinguishers and sprayed them throughout the concession stand.

Both of the concession stand’s registers have been ruined, Aiken said.

“They killed those registers,” he said.

Powell could not put a price tag on the damages but said that the registers themselves cost several thousand dollars apiece.

The park had just adopted its winter schedule, Powell said.

“It’s funny,” he said. “The first night we close the park early, this happens.”

Reach Jason Evans at jevans@theeasleyprogress.com or 855-0355.