By Larry Coonrod, Lebanon Express writer | Posted: Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:00 am
After their 1985 Mazda B2000 pickup was destroyed by arson, Lebanon High School volleyball coach Jennifer Rodriguez, 29, and her husband, volunteer assistant coach Frank Rodriguez, 30, are worried about the safety of their players.
The Rodriguezes left the pickup in front of the LHS gymnasium about 4:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 6, while the volleyball team traveled to Mountain View High School in Bend for a volleyball jamboree. The couple, who live near LHS, did not take the vehicle home with them after returning from Bend Saturday night.
"Our ignorance led us to believe it would be safe on school grounds," Frank Rodriguez said.
On Monday, they discovered someone had pried open the sliding back window of the truck and thrown lit fireworks inside. The resulting fire melted the seats and dashboard and their 3-year-old son Aleki's child seat.
Whoever placed the fireworks in the vehicle closed the window. The lack of oxygen probably smothered the fire before it grew large enough to draw attention from neighbors or passing motorists.
Lebanon police are investigating the crime.
Investigators were resolving technical issues in viewing footage from a security camera at the high school, but the camera remains functional, and the investigation is still open, school resource officer Tim Shanks said.
The coaches say they have observed teenagers vandalizing doors at the high school before.
"To me, arson is a whole other level of crime," Frank Rodriguez said.
Both said crime in the neighborhood has them concerned about the safety of players who often do not leave the school until later in the evening, after practice or games.
"I have 40 girls I'm responsible for. This really woke me up," Jennifer Rodriguez said. "Are they safe?"
The pickup was covered by liability insurance, which will not pay for the damage. To repair the truck would cost more than it was worth, Jennifer Rodriguez said.
The Lebanon Fire Department donated a new child seat to the family.