Burglar Dents Big Dreams of Soccer Team

A Newport Beach girls’ soccer team already knows the highs of winning a national championship. The team’s perfect record in 2003 extended from Hawaii to Sweden.

This year, the now 15-year-olds are hoping for a repeat, but they may have to achieve it with $5,000 less.

That’s the amount that remains missing after a Moreno Valley man was arrested Saturday by La Habra police, who said he stole the money the day before in the parking lot of Westridge Golf Club, where a team fundraiser was being held.

David Urban, 31, was arrested at a Fullerton motel. Police said they recovered $8,480 in checks, but the cash, estimated at $5,000, was missing, said department spokeswoman Cindy Knapp.

The team is part of the Slammers FC and was the U.S. Youth Soccer Assn.’s national champion last year. The team may only break even after costs of hosting the golf tournament are counted, said Frank Jesolva, team manager.

Police said Urban shattered the passenger-side window of Jesolva’s car to get to the money shortly before 3 p.m. on Friday. Woody Hernandez, a father of one of the players, and Brian Sjollema, his guest at the tournament, were on their way to retrieve the money at Jesolva’s request. Hernandez said that when he saw a man standing near the car, he yelled at him to stop. But the man got in a pickup and started to drive off, Hernandez said.

“I tried to get in front of his truck, but he was going really fast. So I stepped back and took a swing with my golf club,” said Hernandez, who wielded a three-iron. Hernandez and Sjollema, who both broke clubs trying to stop the man, gave police the vehicle’s license number. The men later picked Urban’s picture out of six photos detectives showed them.

Urban was arrested on suspicion of burglary, possession of controlled substances and parole violation, Knapp said.

Aside from paying team costs, the money from the annual golf tournament helps pay for players who can’t afford the costly fees and travel, said Roger Gregston, a father of one of the players.

“It’s a real hardship for some families to keep up with that financial burden,” he said. “If it weren’t for the [robbery], this was probably the most successful event that we’d had.”

The team has tournaments planned later this year in Houston, Las Vegas, New York and San Diego.

Jesolva said parents and players were “shocked -- especially since it was a charity event.” There were about 100 participants in the golf tournament, he said.