Juveniles charged in Buffalo Grove playground arson

Buffalo Grove police have charged four teenagers with damaging playground equipment next to the Buffalo Grove Park District's headquarters last week.

Four 14-year-olds will be petitioned to Cook County juvenile court on felony charges that include criminal damage to property and arson, relating to the Nov. 5 fire at the Alcott Center, 530 Bernard Drive, Buffalo Grove Police Cmdr. Steve Husak said.

Three of the teenagers, two boys and a girl, live in Buffalo Grove and another girl lives in Wheeling.

Park district video cameras captured the teens setting fire to leaves and other debris in a sewer grate underneath the playground, which ultimately destroyed the equipment, Husak said.

The Buffalo Park District estimates the damage at $100,000. The playground was installed in 2007 and featured a state-of-the-art soft rubber surface underneath to minimize the risk of injury, as well as ramps and other features that made it accessible for children with physical disabilities.

The playground will remain closed throughout the winter until the park district is able to replace it in the spring.

Two of the teens also were caught on video damaging chairs at the Emmerich Park facility earlier in the day, police said.

Juvenile detectives used tips from the community and schools along with the video images to identify the suspects. The teens when interviewed admitted to their involvement in these crimes, police said.

They have since been released under their parents' supervision.