[StBernard] Boy, 14, says he started park fire

[Westley Annis]

Boy, 14, says he started park fire
Teen mad because playground off-limits 
Friday, January 11, 2008
By Paul Rioux
St. Bernard bureau 

A 14-year-old boy has confessed to torching the St. Bernard Community
Playground in Chalmette on New Year's Day because he was not allowed to use
the Hurricane Katrina-damaged playground when he lived in a FEMA trailer at
the park, sheriff's deputies said. 

The teen was arrested Wednesday and booked with simple arson, according to
deputies, who are questioning two other juveniles and seeking a 27-year-old
man accused of giving the 14-year-old a lighter. The teen's name was not
released because he is a juvenile. 

Meanwhile, the Arlene and Joseph Meraux Charitable Foundation has pledged
$100,000 to repair the wooden playground, which was built by 1,500
volunteers during a weeklong, barn-raising-style project in 2003. 

The 14-year-old, who had lived until October in one of many Federal
Emergency Management Agency trailers at Torres Park, returned on New Year's
Day to visit a friend, said Col. Richard Baumy, a spokesman for the St.
Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office. 

"He said he decided to set the playground on fire because they wouldn't let
him play on it when he used to live there," Baumy said. 

Along with his friend and the friend's brother, the 14-year-old retrieved a
plastic gas can and stopped by the trailer of Jude Nunez, 27, who allegedly
gave them a lighter used to start the fire, Baumy said. 

After one of the brothers poured gas on the main play structure, the
14-year-old allegedly set it on fire, detectives said. Fanned by strong
winds, the 10:30 p.m. blaze charred most of the 12,000-square-foot
playground before firefighters doused it about 12 minutes after arriving at
the scene. 

Detectives are questioning the two brothers and are seeking Nunez for
questioning, Baumy said. Anyone with information about the case or Nunez's
whereabouts can call the Sheriff's Office at (504) 271-2501. 

The Meraux foundation's donation was announced Thursday. 

"Arlene Meraux was always very concerned about children and would be proud
of this donation," said Floyd Gue, a member of the foundation's board. 

The foundation is a nonprofit group that oversees projects to benefit St.
Bernard Parish using the assets of the land empire of the late Arlene and
Joseph Meraux. 

Parish officials said many residents have asked about volunteering to
rebuild the playground, which had emerged from Katrina structurally sound
and needed mostly cosmetic repairs. 

"I think this will be another example of how a tragedy unites our community
to rebuild things even better than what we had," Parish President Craig
Taffaro said. 

. . . . . . . 

Paul Rioux can be reached at prioux at timespicayune.com or (504) 826-3321.