By Anna Buss
A group going by the name of Cory Lidle-Elevens has started a crowd funding campaign to raise money to repair Cory Lidle’s bronze statue that was vandalized outside the West Covina Big League Dream Park last week.
The person in charge of the fund writes, “We are asking for any assistance to help restore this statue, so that our future ballplayers can have that same experience.” The site has accrued, so far, more than $600.00, but its goal is to reach $100,000 – the total estimated damage. Anyone interested in donating can go to http://www.gofundme.com/corylidlestatue.
Last Friday, employees of the West Covina Big League Dream Park found the statue, at the front entrance of the facility honoring the late Major League Baseball player Cory Lidle, heavily damaged.
In addition to the destroyed statue, three bronze plaques were removed, one from a brick near the statue, and the other two from an adjacent building. Each plaque is estimated to be worth $2,000, according to the West Covina Police Department.
The stolen plaques recognized the West Covina City Council, Big League Dream Officials and listed a biography of Baseball player Cory Lidle. The plates were dedicated in the grand opening of the facility in October of 2007.
West Covina Police continue investigating for leads on the case. Last week, it sent out a notice to scrapyards in the area in hope the three plaques would turn up. So far, nothing has been found, says Public Information Officer for the West Covina Police, Rudy Lopez. The message notifying the businesses was sent on February 21, the same day the vandalism took place.
The suspects in this case remain unknown at this time.
West Covina City Mayor Steve Herfert says this crime will be resolved. “The City of West Covina will find these vandals and prosecute them to the fullest degree possible,” he says. “I promise our residents this act of vandalism will not deter us from our goal of fulfilling dreams at our Big League Dreams facility.” Mayor Herfert also says he guarantees the city will work on getting the statue repaired.
Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call The West Covina Police Department at 626-939-8557 or their anonymous recorded line at 626-939-8688.