Three Teens Charged With Setting Fire To Woodbridge Playground

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — Three local Woodbridge Twp. teens have been arrested and charged with setting fire to the special-needs playground at Matthew Jago School last week, Woodbridge Twp. announced Monday.

The fire last Wednesday, Aug. 1 caused more than $100,000 in damage to the playground, which was specially created for autistic and special-needs children.

The fire was first reported at 5:45 p.m. Aug. 1, after a resident who lives nearby saw the flames and called 911. When firefighters got there, the Jago school playground was engulfed in flames. A photo of the damaged playground is above, provided by the Twp.

The juveniles (age 15, 14 and 14) were arrested Friday, Aug. 3. They are all from Woodbridge Township. Woodbridge detectives and uniformed police officers conducted an extensive investigation, speaking with neighbors and residents of the Sewaren neighborhood. From there, the police got information about the three teens, who were allegedly observed at the playground in the late afternoon of Wed., Aug. 1.

This is not the first time a playground in Woodbridge Twp. has been badly damaged by fire: In 2009, a playground at Fifth District Park in Avenel was destroyed by fire, as well. Originally, officials thought it was arson but the cause of that fire turned out to be accidental, from kids playing with matches or a cigarette lighter, Hagerty told Patch.

The Matthew Jago School #28 "Boundless Playground" was constructed in August 2008 with a $250,000 open space grant from Middlesex County. A "Boundless Playground" is a fully-accessible playground designed to provide handicapped and challenged youngsters of all ages and skills. The playground had wheelchair-access ramps, swings, platforms and seats; monster sliding boards; tube slides; tree, snake, coil, and centipede climbing ladders; a crazy maze adventure area; benches and tables – all handicapped accessible.

Past Patch reporting: Suspected Arson Fire Destroys Woodbridge Playground