Tee-ball coach charged in assault

Arranged attack to sideline autistic player, police say

Saturday, July 16, 2005
By Moustafa Ayad, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A Fayette County tee-ball coach was arraigned on felony charges yesterday that he bribed a 7-year-old player to throw a baseball at a mentally disabled teammate's face to keep the boy out of a game.

State police said Mark Downs Jr., 27, of Dunbar, offered his star player $25 on June 27 to hit an 8-year-old autistic child with a baseball because he wanted to win the game.

Full article at: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05197/539043.stm

For more information and resources on autism, go to:

http://www.autismconcepts.com/.