- This sports club’s party sure got rained on hard.
It was supposed to be a weekend of celebration for a Texas curling club. But the party took a nasty turn when uninvited guests showed up after hours.
The DFW Curling Club had barely finished celebrating the grand opening of its brand-new facility in Irving. After the party, the members went home, looking forward to good times enjoying their favorite sport.
But party poopers showed up soon after. Less than an hour later, a group of crooks showed up on the facility’s security cameras.
They forced their way in and, finding the leftovers of the curling club’s festivities, decided to live it up. For several hours, the intruders ate, drank, and partied like they owned the place.
The group wasn’t after just a good time, though. They left the curling club, only to return later to steal everything that wasn’t nailed down.
Now, the curling club is down at least $20,000 in money and equipment. The members have taken such a huge financial hit that they’re not sure how they’ll organize the big tournament they were supposed to host.
At least there’s some good news. The thieves weren’t smart enough to mask themselves, and the security cameras caught their faces as clear as day.
New Clubhouse
Texas is not the place where you’d expect to find people dedicated to curling, out of all sports. Yet the DFW Curling Club aims to raise the profile of brushing and throwing heavy rocks on ice in the Lone Star State.
The club recently took a big step forward toward realizing its goals. After a long time and plenty of volunteer effort, DFW Curling just opened its new club facility in Irving.
The premises have multiple curling sheets (that’s what the play area is called), a concessions area, equipment storage facilities… Everything an aspiring curling club might need.
On Sunday, October 25, the club threw a big party to celebrate the facility’s grand opening. Around 6 p.m., the members and guests left and went home, excited about a bright future for their club.
And then the uninvited guests showed up.
Afterparty
Around 6:30 p.m., just a half hour after the club had closed, unknown people showed up at the curling facility’s front door. They milled about for a while before forcing their way into the building around 8 p.m.
Once inside, they discovered the leftover food and drink from the opening party. With no one to stop them, they decided to help themselves.
“The individuals spent several hours inside our facility, going through drawers, rummaging through our belongings, making a mess, eating our food, and drinking,” DFW Curling said in a statement.
According to the club, having trespassers throw an unwelcome party in their new home was “violating and upsetting” enough. But then things got worse as the intruders turned out to be thieves instead of just party animals.
DFW Curling Club’s president, Bridgette Minucci, told CHRON that the group left the clubhouse before midnight. However, they came back around 4:45 a.m. to grab everything they could.
“Tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of tools were stolen from our back room. Not to mention our iPads, speakers, and other athletic equipment,” the club said. In addition, the criminals took uncashed checks and other valuables.
In total, Minucci estimates the losses to amount to at least $20,000.
Caught on Candid Camera
Such a huge loss has been devastating for the new club. The members were still putting finishing touches on the facility, but without their tools or computers needed for club operations, no work can currently take place.
But what’s probably more distressing to the members is that they were supposed to host their first big tournament soon. Now, it’s a big question mark whether they can do so.
“We have a USA Curling national event in a few weeks … [we are] scrambling to get what we need to ensure a successful tournament,” said Minucci.
Fortunately, there is a silver lining. The thieves weren’t the brightest bunch and the club has been able to provide the police with an admirable heap of evidence.
“Irving police have collected fingerprints and DNA evidence, and we have surveillance footage of the individuals,” the club stated.
In the videos, some of the thieves’ faces are clearly visible. The police and the club have appealed to the public to let them know if anyone recognizes the people.
But wait, there’s more! The dimwitted burglars have apparently attempted to cash the club’s checks, which means the police now have some names on record as well.
In the meantime, DFW Curling asks the public to be on the lookout for suspiciously cheap curling equipment being sold on Facebook Marketplace and on other online platforms. Many of the club’s gear pieces have the word “BLING” on them, which should help recognize the stolen goods.
Despite the disaster, the club isn’t willing to let the theft keep them down.
“We’ve worked too hard and come too far to let this defeat us. You can steal our tools, but you cannot steal the heart of this club,” DFW Curling wrote.