Two teens face charges for burning playground
October 5, 2011 at 7:00 pm in Duluth News Tribune
A police crime scene investigator said two 14-year-olds and an innocent 12-year-old began experimenting with fire by burning items including clothing and paper in a yard at one of their parents’ properties on Friday night. Continue Reading
I hope these juveniles learned something from this. I also hope that people who made foolish comments earlier regarding this incident feel as foolish as they should.
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What I suspect they will learn is that there aren’t many consequences for juveniles who vandalize and destroy property.
I’m not looking forward to meeting these kids at 16 or 18 btw…
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An adult person actually says “I’m 25 I like fire!” ??
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Whats wrong with liking fire, havent you ever sat around a campfire at night it is quite relaxing!
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It is so ‘Minnesota nice’ of you to buy their story ‘hook line and sinker’. How do you spell “naive”. When I attened Lester Park School in 1952 as a kindergartener, I was accused of setting off the fire alarm in the school because I was out of class, (in the boys room when it happened), someone saw me in the hall and figured I was the culprit. I was taken to the principle’s office to meet with a police officer and my parents. This was my first experience with adults outside the home. Sounds like we are a more lenient society now!
For $437 million spent on schools maybe we should get fire-retardant or fire-proof playgropund ‘chips’.
I still say these kids will get off with only a ‘hand-slap’ and will be laughing about it tomorrow!
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I certainly hope the insurance company now sends the bill to the parents. Ultimately, they are responsible for their children and should be the ones to pay for this. Playing with fire!?! They are lucky there was no major damage other than the playground….or that no one was injured.
If anything, these teenagers should be brought to all schools and made to give talks on why playing with fire is wrong. Maybe other kids will learn from their stupidity. They should also go to Lester Park school and apologize to the entire school for what they did.
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Ben, you’re an adult that seriously wrote “I like fire”. You aren’t qualified to tell us about normal anything.
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Sorry, but this is not “normal teen behavior”. At 14 they should know better than to light a “campfire” in a playground.
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Um Folks have fires in alot of different areas, and if you read closely, they did not make the fire right on the play ground either.
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The policy of not identifying juveniles might make it impossible, but I agree that these kids should be made to stand in front of all the students at Lester Park and apologize.
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A 12 and a 14 year old are old enough to know better I hope there is a sentance of some type. At 12 I knew enough not to be lighting fires and it can’t be “they are just kids/stupid teenagers”
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I can’t help but believe,, that at least one of these 3 kids,,, will be involved in another ‘fire’ incident before they are 18 years old.
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Any missing pets in this area? Teens who are fascinated with fire are often in the first stages of other behavior. No, making a campfire in your parents yard is “normal”, but moving that fire because you KNOW you could get in trouble if you get caught, shows other issues.
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Someone will probably feel bad for them and give them scholarships to UMD, just like the little jerks who demolished Swenson Science Hall.
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I figured it was bored kids making a very poor choice. It was interesting to see how in an earlier story about the fire, how quickly a couple people from this blog, who are obvious Red Plan Supporters quickly tried to blame it on people who were unhappy with the Red Plan. Nice. And we wonder why this community is divided over this issue.
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I went through a pyro stage too. When I was 8. I’m 28 now, and feel like kids nowadays seem to lack any kind of maturity at almost any age. Just think, 2 of them will most likely be driving a 2-ton metal missile around in 2 more years. Eeeeeeeeek.
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i am scared to see what they will grow in to some of these kids have no respect for anything. they should be made to apologize and then be made to help rebuild the playground or pay restitution. Maybe the parents need to be held accountable also. kids have way too much time on their hands, i lived on a farm when i was growing up and if i said the word bored my mother found something for me to do. Parents get involved with your childrens lives!
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Kids do stupid stuff. Always have, always will. It’s in their job description. But hopefully these kids parents will step up and make things right with the school, and teach the kids a valuable life- lesson as well.
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Too bad they can’t be charged as adults and sentenced to about 5 years in prison plus restitution. The problem is, liberals always think criminals shouldn’t be held accountable.
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Except for they are not criminals and there was no criminal act!
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