A second arrest in the fire that destroyed the spiral slide at Tree Top Play Park was made today when a 15-year-old male was arrested at The Dalles High School at around 1:30 p.m., city police confirmed.
The youth was arrested without incident, said The Dalles Police Chief Jay Waterbury, and is accused of second-degree arson, first-degree criminal mischief, both felonies, and reckless burning. The Chronicle does not name juveniles accused of crimes.
The slide was burned early Feb. 21.
Waterbury said detectives working the case “had more information on another person. They went and talked to that person, the person admitted it.”
Detectives Steve Rue and Travis Elton made the arrest. No further arrests are expected in the incident, Waterbury said.
Earlier in the week, on Tuesday, they arrested 18-year-old Aaron Ray Haberman, of The Dalles. Haberman was released at an arraignment Wednesday over the objections of prosecutors and his own family.
Wasco County District Attorney Eric Nisley said Haberman, who is employed, lives with his parents, but was released to the custody of his aunt. He is on a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew and is to have no contact with any property of the Northern Wasco County Parks and Recreation District.
Nisley said, “His family is very upset that this happened and they’re trying their best to do what they can for their kid, who appears to have some mental health issues.”
Nisley noted that Haberman was wearing a suicide smock during the arraignment and his mother said during the proceeding that he’d been suicidal and she was very concerned for his safety.
Nisley said, “Our goal is to hold him accountable and responsible, taking into consideration everything that happened and his circumstances.”
He said a grand jury would meet Friday and Haberman was due back in court Monday.
“We take into account everything in a situation. We consider this a very serious, serious offense. I mean, I helped build that park myself. I was up there for several days, so I know how important it is to the community,” Nisley said. “But we have to take into consideration everything that’s going on.”
The parks district has said the slide will cost about $7,500 to replace, and a new slide should be installed in a month.
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