Vandalism may result in arson charge
North Fort Myers Community Park has had several episodes of vandalism since January, but now that may escalate to an arson charge, according to a park spokesperson.
On the morning of Aug. 6, the highly anticipated Parent’s Day for summer campers, park personnel discovered a mess at the park’s Community Center – only a short time before parents and campers were due for the annual breakfast and talent show held every year.
“Late last night, after Pop Warner, they must have come in,” said Christine Sustrich, senior recreation specialist for the park. “A picnic bench was burnt completely to the ground, and they took sunscreen that was left outside and squirted it all over the window screens.”
There was also graffiti on walls, windows and doors. “A lot was with chalk, that was easy to clean,” she said.
By the 9 a.m. breakfast, there was no signs of any trouble, and families enjoyed the event.
But it was disturbing for park officials. With the burning of the picnic bench, charges for the vandals, when caught, may include arson, said Sustrich. That’s what deputies told her when they arrived on the scene.
“They may try to get fingerprints off the bottle of sunscreen that was left.” A spokesman for the Lee County Sheriff’s office said the incident is currently under investigation, and would only confirm that four vandalism calls have come in from January at the park.
“The Sheriff’s Department was here immediately after we called this in,” said Sustrich.
But it was a good day for the park activity. Most parents said they could have detected there was a problem at the park community center before the parent event.