Police: Teen set fire to new playground in Dallas

DALLAS - A teenager is accused of burning down a new playground outside a Dallas non-profit organization.

The fire was over the weekend at Youth World, a center serving children in the Red Bird area of southern Dallas.

Investigators said surveillance video showed 18-year-old Joaquise King there Saturday with an 11-year-old boy. Apparently, he set a foam cup on fire and placed it on the playground.

The fire spread and destroyed the entire playground. It was so new it had not yet been used.

“I got a call saying, ‘Hey, your playground is on fire.’ And my heart just sank knowing… I was so grieved and saddened knowing that all these kids are going to come and they’ll find their playground destroyed,” said Dana Shirley, the executive director for Youth World.

Some corporate sponsors who helped pay for the $50,000 playground are now offering to help rebuild it.

King was charged with felony criminal mischief.