Arrest made in Bonita Canyon pickleball court vandalism, police say

Pickleball courts at Bonita Canyon Sports Park have been targeted with acts of vandalism in recent months that have allegedly caused the complete destruction by fire of a windbreak panel, one of the courts’ nets and a defibrillator station, leaving the area without that safety equipment.

Further damage was caused by the use of some type of a explosive device, which chipped one of the courts, according Louis Lawent, a Newport Beach resident and pickleball player who regularly uses the Bonita Canyon courts.

A section of windscreen section behind players has yet to be replaced after fire damage occurred at a pickleball court in the Bonita Canyon Sports Park complex in Newport Beach.

(Susan Hoffman)

“When you talk about burning, that’s serious. And then you’ve got to nip it in the bud,” Lawent said. “Because if you don’t, then the vandalism continues in other places, let alone more at this place.”

Newport Beach Police Department detectives and members of the department’s Special Enforcement Team investigated the vandalism and have arrested a suspect who admitted to a few of the incidents at Bonita Canyon, according to Deputy Chief Joshua Vincelet.

A scarred wall remains at the Bonita Canyon Sports Park pickleball courts after vandals trashed the defibrillator that was installed there.

(Susan Hoffman)

“As of this writing the case is still under investigation and charges will be presented to the district attorney when all leads have been exhausted,” Vincelet explained in an email to the Daily Pilot.

“As of now I cannot release names or information specific to how the investigation was conducted,” Vincelet said.

A frequent pickleball player named Kathy, who declined to provide her last name for privacy reasons, suggests putting a padlock on the court gates would be a deterrent to vandals. She said that since the city staff locks the bathrooms overnight it shouldn’t be a major inconvenience to them.

A surveillance camera aided in the identification of alleged vandals at the pickleball court at Bonita Canyon Sports Park in Newport Beach.

(Susan Hoffman)

When asked about improving security surveillance, Vincelet said, “We added cameras after the events to supplement our already installed FLOCK system.”

As for the replacement of the defibrillator and the suggestion to install locks on the gates overnight, Vincelet said those actions would be the under the purview of the Parks and Recreation Department, which is aware of the damages.

Multiple requests for comment made to city officials were not answered as of press deadline.

— Hoffman is a contributor to the Daily Pilot.