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WPEC-TV CBS12 News :: News - Treasure Coast News - UPDATED: 11-year-old caught trying to set playground on fire in Port St. Lucie

UPDATED: 11-year-old caught trying to set playground on fire in Port St. Lucie

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Police arrested an 11-year-old boy Tuesday night on an arson charge after a neighbor caught him dousing park playground equipment with gas and trying to set it on fire.

Port St. Lucie Police got a 9-1-1 call at about 11:45 p.m. of a juvenile setting fires at Jessica Clinton Park, 3200 SE Southbend Park. When police arrived the juvenile was lying face down near a large gas can with the adult caller standing nearby.

Port St. Lucie pull tell us the neighbor, Mark Goodman who lives across the street from the park, saw the boy pour gas on mulch on the north corner of the park and light it on fire. He then saw the boy douse playground equipment with gas and attempt to light it, but only the mulch underneath caught fire. It was still burning when police arrived. Goodman restrained the boy on the ground until officials arrived.

"Had the neighbor not interfered, we don't know what would have happened. If the park would have probably burned down, or this individual would have tried to set something else on fire as the park," said Tom Nichols, Port St. Lucie Police Department.

The boy told police he had snuck out of his house and walked to the park. Seeing a gas can at a utility building nearby, he went home to retrieve a lighter. He told police he wasn't sure why he did it, but wanted a good story to impress his friends at school.

"He must have seen him in there. I didn't see anything," said neighbor Frank Cardillo.

Cardillo is grateful Goodman intervened.

"I can say he is a hero, a nice guy, good family because he saved the park and he caught one of the kids doing it. Next time it might be a house that they put on fire," said Cardillo.

Burn spots around the park show other areas the boy tried to ignite as well.

"His intentions coming out, sneaking out of the house during such late hours and identifying a gas can and purposely pouring it on mulch and setting the mulch on fire, that would be a clear indication he knew what he was doing was wring," said Nichols.

The boy was arrested and his parents notified, Port St. Lucie Police reported.  CBS 12 is not identifying the child charged since he is a minor. He was taken to a juvenile detention center.

Police say when they asked the boy why he did it, the boy said he wanted to have a story to tell when he got to school.UPDATED: 11-year-old caught trying to set playground on fire in Port St. Lucie

Tuesday, May 1 2012, 02:34 PM EDT

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