Coon Rapids police are hoping a $500 reward will bring the tip needed to catch those responsible for intentionally setting a playground and portable toilets in city parks on fire.
The fires began June 13 and 14 when someone set toilets in Wintercrest and Woodcrest parks ablaze. The stakes rose June 15 when a structure featuring slides, tubes and a climbing apparatus in Wintercrest Park went up in flames.
Investigators have determined all three fires were arson, said Capt. Adam Jacobson with the Coon Rapids Police Department.
A neighbor called police about 2 a.m. June 15, saying she smelled smoke in the area of the park on Woodcrest Drive between Egret Boulevard and 103rd Avenue NW. Officers arrived to find the playground on fire, Jacobson said.
The structure, installed in 1998, was a total loss, said city spokeswoman Jennifer Anderson.
"Playgrounds and other park amenities can serve as the heart of a neighborhood, so when something is destroyed such as this playground, it is disheartening," she said. "We take crimes like this very seriously and we are working diligently behind the scenes to determine those involved."
Anderson said the equipment will be replaced and expects that costs will be around $60,000.
Police took to social media Tuesday to help drum up leads, and distributed flyers to draw attention to the case.
