AUGUSTA — A string of criminal activity hit Piggery Road earlier this week, causing thousands of dollars’ worth of damage.
Late Monday night, Augusta firefighters responded to a report of a fire at the Augusta Little League concession stand there. The state fire marshal’s office is investigating it as a suspicious fire. Fire officials said it appeared the blaze started in an interior corner of the building, substantially damaging the building and the cooking and other equipment inside the building.
A day later, the press box at McGuire Field was broken into and ransacked. Joseph Linscott, a facilities representative on the Capitol Area Recreation Association board of directors, posted a message about the damage on Facebook.
“Windows were broken, lights and electrical destroyed, many plaques, pictures, and trophies were destroyed,” he wrote in the post, in which he included a photo of the damage. “Anything that could be destroyed was done so.
“Holes were punched in the walls and ceiling and some form of liquid was sprayed on one wall which may have been an attempt to set the building afire,” he added in the post. “Some items are not replaceable.”
Around 7:50 p.m. Wednesday, a complaint of suspicious activity came in from Piggery Road. Augusta police Deputy Chief Kevin Lully said the concession stand was damaged further in this incident.
While official estimates aren’t available for all incidents, he speculated the total was a “couple thousand” dollars’ worth of damages.
Lully said the department does not have any evidence linking the incident to the fire, nor any evidence linking the incidents to the same parties. Lully did not know if one person or a larger group was responsible for the activity.
He said Wednesday police are “actively and aggressively” investigating the incidents.
Police performed a building check on Piggery Road around 2 a.m. Friday, according to a police incident log.
Sam Shepherd — 621-5666
Twitter: @SamShepME
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