$7,000 in funds stolen from football coach's office in Reseda

RESEDA, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- About $7,000 in cash and checks stored inside a football coach's office in Reseda is all gone, and he's asking for the public's help to get the funds back for his team.

Thieves earlier this week broke a couple of windows, stealing months of fundraising by athletes, their parents and coaches at Cleveland High School.

The money was going to be used for weight room equipment and gear for spring practice.

"Passing league tournaments, equipment for that - like helmets, the uniforms and other equipment - that's the immediate loss...," Matt Gentle, the Cleveland Football coach, said.

Using the hashtag #ABC7Eyewitness, one of the coaches told Eyewitness News about the crime.

The team set up a GoFundMe account to try and recoup the money that was stolen, but coaches and players are heartbroken.

"We're a program that's trying to get back on its feet," said Mario Magana, a Cleveland football player. "Trying to get back to the gold days to be a better team but to do that, we need the money for jerseys, equipment - it's just a big setback."

The school filed a police report with the Los Angeles Police Department, and the players and coaches are hoping the community will help them - again - raise the money the football team needs.

"It definitely wasn't moral, especially to go to something that we have been working so hard to gain," Magana said. "As a school, we've always had our setbacks, and for them to take $7,000 plus is devastating, it's unspeakable."