EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio — It's been a harsh reality for dozens of 10-year-old East Cleveland youth football players and their parents, after a car thief made off with the uniforms and equipment for the entire team.
Yvonne Lauretta said the uniforms and equipment for the East Cleveland Chiefs football team were inside her blue 2018 Jeep Wrangler, when her vehicle was stolen from the driveway of her home at around 5:30 PM on Sept. 22.
“I’m extremely hurt, I’m extremely disappointed,” Lauretta said.
“It’s been hard on my son, it’s been hard on the team because those are the only uniforms we had.”
"We’re all upset because you took a vehicle with little kids football equipment and little kids football uniforms in it."
"You didn’t think twice about these babies, you didn’t care about these babies and to me that hurts.”
Lauretta's 10-year-old son, Arthur McKoy, told News 5 his Chiefs football team won the national title last year, but now with the theft of the team uniforms, it will be difficult to rally the team back to championship form.
“I felt very sad, and I really don’t know how we’re going to replace it,” McKoy said.
“Please, and I’m saying please give us back the vehicle.”
East Cleveland police are asking anyone with information about this case to contact police headquarters.
Lauretta said without uniforms, it's questionable the Chiefs team will be able to play its next game against Glenville at Shaw High School.
She has a final message for the car thief who took her family car and the dreams of an entire youth football team.
“Am I mad at you, no, do I hate you, no," Lauretta said.
"I just want you to give me back my vehicle with everything that was in my vehicle.”
