BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — A Louisa man was arrested April 18 after attempting to break into the concession stand at the Martin County High School football field in Inez.
Brian Lee Gantt, 36, of Louisa, was charged with second-degree criminal trespassing and a bench warrant.
According to the criminal complaint, Gantt was captured on video surveillance as he attempted to break into the concession stand.
Deputy David Adams of the Martin County Sheriff’s Office responded but could not locate anyone at the field when he arrived.
“I got with the school staff, who had a video of a male dressed in a green and black hoodie,” Adams said. “In the video it appeared the male had come out of the locker room.”
Adams searched the locker room and found Gantt lying on the couch in the coach’s room. Gantt was wearing the same hoodie as in the video.
The deputy said Gantt had two book bags, one containing three students’ sports physical forms with their personal information.
School staff advised the deputy that those forms had been kept in a filing cabinet in the coach’s office.
Remote locations make sports fields easy targets
Burglars targeted the concession stand at the Martin County High School baseball field 1-1/2 from the football field last month. They stole several items, including electrical lighting.
With the football field being 1-1/2 miles from the new Martin County High School campus and the softball and baseball fields more than 2 miles away, Martin County Schools Superintendent Larry James said security had become an increasing concern.
“It’s hard to keep an eye on the fields with them being separate from the campus and so spread apart,” James said.
The superintendent and the Martin County Board of Education plan to remedy that situation by trading properties with the Martin County Economic Development Authority. Approached by James, the EDA officially voted May 18, 2202, to deed the 148.5 acres adjacent to the new high school to the BOE.
“We’re getting the property, then we’ll trade something of equal value later on down the road,” James said.
As part of the agreement, the EDA stipulated the BOE would have 10 years to construct school facilities.
James told the EDA and the BOE that those facilities would include a new elementary school and high school sports fields.
The BOE officially voted to accept the deal early this year.