Former NFL star's area home damaged after party of 300 teens

Posted: Sep 09, 2013 4:00 PM EDT

By Anya Tucker - email

 

 

STEPHENTOWN, N.Y. - A vacant Rensselaer County home belonging to a former NFL star was trashed after police allege 300 teens broke in, converting the old farmhouse into a wild party house.

Former New England Patriots player Brian Holloway tells NEWS10 ABC he was in Florida on August 31st when he received word that his vacant Stephentown farmhouse was the scene of a large party.

Holloway says he received word of the party from his son, who saw notifications about the party on Twitter, getting tweets that a break-in was going on at the home including drugs, alcohol, and destruction of property. 

The police were called to the scene, where they allegedly found the yard full of cars and around 300 teenaged people running from the home and barns on the property.

Investigators with the Rensselaer County Sheriff's Office documented the damage finding walls spray painted, windows broken, floors scuffed by beer kegs and soaked with urine. 

But Holloway says that isn't even the worst of it. He says someone stole an eagle statue that was part of a memorial for his stillborn grandson and very important to his family.

Police say the statue may not be that hard to find, because the person - more specifically the young woman - who may have it posted a photo on social media. A photo on the unnamed female's account shows her holding the eagle.

In fact, police say much of what happened at the party was shared in pictures and posts on social media. 

Holloway says he is heartbroken but he's hopeful the kids who trashed his home will come forward.

"There are pictures of them committing the crimes, and it's just a matter of time before we have all the names," he said. "If anyone knows this person, that they would be thoughtful enough to return it. I bought that for a very special reason."

He tells NEWS10 he wants to save these kids from going down a bad path, saying Stephentown has seen too many deaths involving young people and drinking or drugs.

Investigators are now visiting nine area schools and one college, Hudson Valley Community College, to talk with administrators after matching several photographs from the party to students' Twitter accounts.

Police are asking anyone with stolen property to return the items, an act that will be looked upon favorably.