Thousands of dollars worth of maintenance equipment was reported stolen from a softball complex in Greenbrier.
According to the city's chief of police, Gene Earnhart, a 2010 John Deere tractor and zero-turn Bad Boy Mower were taken from the complex on Arkansas 225.
Earnhart said the thief or thieves cut the locks on a gate and storage shed and then either hot-wired the tractor or used something to crank it started. The lawnmower already had its keys on it, police said.
A string trimmer was also stolen, and a utility vehicle was taken but later recovered nearby. Its ignition area had been damaged.
The theft of the tractor, which had an attachment used for smoothing out ballfields, meant Greenbrier Parks and Recreation had to bring equipment from their baseball field about three miles away to prepare the space for play, Earnhart said.
The chief said the equipment will be difficult to replace if it is not found.
“Without money to replace it, it’s going to be tough to keep the ball fields up,” he said.
No suspects have been identified, and no arrests have been made, according to Earnhart. He said authorities are offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those involved in the thefts.