KINGSVILLE, Texas — The Kingsville Texas Youth Football League reported more than $9,000 stolen from its Cash App account to police over the course of several months. KRIS 6 News spoke with league members about their reaction to learning this and the impact it had on their season.
“I felt kind of mad,” 10-year-old cheerleader Mykaylah Lara said.
“Kinda disappointed, you know,” parent Zayne Polk said.
That was the common reaction among members after learning that $9,395 had been missing from their Cash App account since late October. Lara said it took a lot of hard work to raise that money.
“Now we are struggling with buying things. It could be hard for our uniforms. My parents and other parents had to pay for our parties,” Lara said.
Laura Prado, vice president of KTYFL, said their Cash App account is connected to their nonprofit bank account. She said the league uses Cash App for convenience, such as when selling concessions during games. However, when officials noticed funds were low, they learned money had been withdrawn to a personal bank account, with some transactions as high as $700.
“We took the first step to contact Cash App. Of course, we expected that we were hacked. Unfortunately, it was brought to our attention that we were, in fact, not hacked. It was an authorized user,” Prado said.
The organization reported the incident to the Kingsville Police Department on November 11. KRIS 6 News confirmed with Police Chief John Blair that the case has been assigned to a detective. It is currently an active investigation, so no additional information can be disclosed at this time.
Board members said that in the organization’s 30-year history, this has never happened. They said they understand parents’ frustration, as many board members also have children in the league.
“They put a lot of money into the league. Not only do they donate, but they pay their fees and duties. It’s heartbreaking when you put so much into something and then have it taken away,” said Nikita Mumford, a parent and KTYFL coordinator.
However, their message to the community remains clear.
“We will stand up for them, we will stand up for ourselves, and we will continue to stand Brahma strong,” Prado said.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Kingsville Police Department’s Investigations Division or Kingsville Crime Stoppers at (361) 592-4636.
