SURPRISE, AZ (AZFamily) — A teen has been arrested in connection with a fire that destroyed playground equipment at a park in Surprise earlier this month.
Surprise police confirm that a 15-year-old boy was arrested on Thursday for felony criminal damage and reckless burning, a misdemeanor.
The arrest stems from a fire at a neighborhood park near Parkview Place and Mondell Road on July 5. Investigators say the playground was set on fire as a result of the unsupervised teen lighting fireworks nearby, it’s unclear what type of fireworks or how many the teen set off.
“The video and our investigation has shown that the juvenile was playing with fireworks in the area, trying to light up fireworks. Eventually ended up catching some of the wood chips on fire,” said Surprise Police Lt. Tim Klarkowski…