Arsonist destroys $250,000 playground for special-needs kids
WOODBRIDGE — A quarter-million-dollar playground for special-needs children was damaged by fire early Wednesday and police want to know who did it.
A "significant part" of the "Boundless" playground in back of the Matthew Jago School 28 in the Sewaren section was damaged by a fire, according to Mayor John McCormac, who said the fire was arson.
The mayor said a neighbor reported the fire about 5:45 p.m. It fully engulfed the playground, which includes 60 pieces of equipment including wheelchair access ramps, swings, platforms and seats, sliding boards, tube slides, a maze and benches and tables.
"I am confident that the WPD Detective Division will track down and arrest those responsible for this senseless fire that destroyed a playground and endangered an entire community," the mayor said in a post on his Facebook page.
McCormac asked anyone with information about the fire to call Woodbridge Police at 732-634-7700.
The park was built in 2008, according to the mayor, who valued the park at $250,000.
The park is also home to Camp PACE (Parents’ Organization Program for the Advancement of Children’s Education), which serves youngsters on the autism spectrum or who face other challenges.