Nasty graffiti, including the use of the "n-word," found at a local park has now been cleaned up. A viewer sent us pictures showing what was scrawled on the outside and inside of a building at Criswell Park.
This is the same park where hometown hero Tim Tebow played Pop Warner football. Remnants of graffiti were still evident at Criswell Park on Tuesday, on the ground and on poles.
"Once they get in, they go into our concession stand and take all of our inventory and then just vandalize the entire building," said Coach Desmonde Brown, board member of the Lakeshore Athletic Association.
It's a reality the Lakeshore Athletic Association keeps facing. So far this year, there have been three or four break-ins, ransacked athletic buildings and offensive spray painting.
Brown believes the latest incident happened early Saturday morning.
"We're used to it. After practice, during the week, we might come back during the weekend and boom. There it is," Brown said.
Criswell Park is run by the city of Jacksonville and kept open from dawn to dusk. Anyone could have done this, but Robert Bodiford believes its teens. He said he saw one running from the ball fields not long after the damage was discovered.
“They took a bunch of food. They trashed it. Just completely destroyed it," Bodiford said.
The kids who play at the park are set back every time something like this happens. Brown has a message for those responsible:
"Please give us a break and let us do what we need to do to save our community," Brown said.
The Lakeshore Athletic Association said it reached out to the City for service and help requests, but they're still waiting to hear back. The Athletic Association said it filed a police report, but so far, there are not any leads.
Cox Media Group
