Boxing club owner to thieves: 'You stole from kids'
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- It was a less than typical Thursday night at 713 Boxing Club off the Eastex Freeway in north Houston.
Owner Joseph Rivera says someone broke in to the club and stole thousands of dollars worth of boxing equipment and some personal trophies.
"I don't know why they'd steal it," said Rivera. "It doesn't make sense."
He says someone broke down a back door into the club sometime Tuesday night.
Rivera said, "It's always been family-oriented. We never had this kind of problem with anybody, so for something like this to happen, I was like 'Wow'. It was a shock."
He says he'll also be more guarded now.
"Why would you do that to some kids that are trying to get a positive outlook in a sport?" said one of the boxers at the club.
Some of the kids who box at the club come from low-income families.
Rivera tells ABC13, whoever did this, really stole from them.
Getting emotional, he said, "They (the kids) could be out there selling drugs, they can be doing a lot of other things, but they're here and, you know, for somebody to come and do that, it's just not right."
Although these kids are making the most of what happened, he's hoping someone comes forward to give the property back.
"I don't want them to give up, I don't want them to stop. We'll get by, it's just hard, "says Rivera.
