Covina girls' softball team helps catch theft suspect

COVINA, Calif. (KABC) -- A robbery suspect was arrested after allegedly attempting to steal an important binder from a Covina National Little League Softball coach at a local pizza parlor Friday.

Team manager Joseph Lopez says the binder was filled with personal information about all the girls on the team, including birth certificates, utility bills and tax forms.

That treasured binder is the key to the girls being able to play in the big championship game, proving their age and residency.

The drama unfolded Friday night as the coaches and some parents were meeting at 3.99 Pizza Company. As Lopez went to pay the bill, the brazen suspect, 29-year-old Marvin Duenas, made a move for the binder.

"A witness observed the suspect move the binder, place it in his backpack and run across the street to a nearby gas station," Covina police Sgt. Jim McDonough said.

Lopez and the coaches chased Duenas across the street and cornered him in the gas station.

"At this point, my daughter and another teammate are screaming and yelling, crying 'just give us our book, we've worked too hard for this,'" Lopez said.

"We asked where the book was and the guy was playing dumb, like if he didn't have it," 13-year-old Krystal Hamlan said.

Alexis Medina, 12, says the suspect even pushed her.

As Duenas tried to escape, Lopez and several others tackled him in the middle of the street, holding him until police arrived.

The 29-year-old is now behind bars and that binder isn't leaving Lopez's sight.

Duenas was arrested on suspicion of robbery and an outstanding vandalism warrant. He's being held on $100,000 bail.