From the Office of the State Fire Marshal:
The Office of the State Fire Marshal with the Aberdeen Police Department have concluded an investigation involving the fire at the playground located at Victory Street and Chesapeake Court. The property is owned and maintained by the City of Aberdeen.
Investigators determined the fire that originally occurred on August 18, 2016 was set intentionally at the sliding board assembly. The fire quickly caused an estimated $120,000 in damage to the playground equipment and rubberized mulch surface. Nearly ten firefighters responded from the Aberdeen Volunteer Fire Department and contained the blaze within ten minutes. The subsequent investigation revealed four juveniles ages:14, 13, 10 and 9 years old were responsible for starting the fire.
All four juveniles have been released to the custody of their respective parents pending actions by the Harford County department of Juvenile Services. Each juvenile was charged with 1st Degree Malicious Burning and Malicious Destruction of Property.
Try them as adults.
Age of reason is generally considered to be 14.
$30,000 from each parent should about cover it. Garnish their wages or take it from their welfare payments.
Whatever. These little brats should be 100% responsible, not we taxpayers.
I agree. The parents of these children need to be held accountable, including the paying of restitution. Garnish wages or more likely, cut public benefits and use this money to repay to build the playground back. Kids who set fires usually have serious mental health and behavioral problems. They should each get an evaluation.
I disagree about holding the parents responsible, the kids should be held responsible. Whatever they need to do in order to pay back that money. I get that the you want to blame the parents, and partly you should, but ones actions are their own and need to be treated as such. Repayment of damages and 5 years community service every weekend.
How do you know the parents of these children at employed?
14-9 year olds all by themselves. Something common about that, huh? No parent or adults anywhere, huh? Criminal activity? Huh?
The real crime is $120,000 for a playground. Seriously? Kids will be kids. We all make mistakes.
Then you pay for it jackass
I’m pretty sure setting a fire at a playground isn’t a mistake. Kids (just like everyone else) need to have consequences for their actions.
I agree with Duh. If the damage that I see in the photo is truly $120,000, then Harford County needs to find a new provider of playground equipment.
Actually it’s the person who awards the contract needs to be replaced. They don’t care it’s not their money but the vendors are their friends.
No, the real crime is the A-hole kids destroying something that will get no meaningful punishment and laugh about it the rest of their lives. Kids will be kids my a$$ – I predict zero chance any of the four will ever be a productive member of civilized society.
Maybe Trump can donate some play doh for the rebuilding effort.
pic.twitter.com/Xa0FsgHbFK
Trump is like a child playing with matches!