Dragons season ticket holders are upset longtime street performer robbed, roughed up

DAYTON — Dayton Dragons season ticket holders are among those who are upset that a longtime street performer was attacked Wednesday night outside Day Air Ballpark and they hope the incident doesn’t leave people fearful about visiting the downtown.

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Tom Schaffer, one of those season ticket holders, said, “I would rather us stand together as a community than say, we can’t do this anymore,” Tom Schaffer, one of those season ticket holders, told News Center 7′s Malik Patterson on Thursday night.

The street performer, a 74-year-old man, was beaten and robbed by at least three people, Dayton Police Lt. Steven Bauer said. Officers were dispatched to East Monument Avenue and North Patterson Boulevard about 9:30 p.m. on the report of an assault. The man was knocked to the ground and his assailants took his tip bucket and musical instruments, the lieutenant said.

Some of the items were recovered, near where the incident occurred, by community members who returned those items to the man.

The police department’s Violent Offender Unit is continuing its investigation of the incident.

The beaten and robbery “breaks my heart,” said another season ticket holder, Pam Hutchison.

Most of the performers outside the ball diamond are well liked by everyone, she said, noting that she will be on the lookout for the man who was beaten and robbed because she wants to check on him.

“I would hope that would never happen to anybody, period,” she said. “But in today’s world, it’s terrible.”

The Dragons are in the middle of a six-game homestand vs. the Fort Wayne TinCaps.

Another street performer who was doing his thing outside the stadium Thursday night declined to speak with News Center 7 on camera for fear that he might be targeted.

Schaffer and his wife, Cindy Cooke, said they hope the incident doesn’t change how Downtown Dayton is viewed.

“So we love it that people do this,” Cooke said of the street performers.

Schaffer said the city will still have the Celtic festival and other events downtown.

“We’re gonna have festivals down here,” he said. “And that’s what’s so lovely out here on the street.”

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