2 juveniles arrested in Willamette arson.Byline: Karen McCowan The Register-Guard Eugene police have arrested two juvenile suspects in the Aug. 2, 2003, arson arson, at common law, the malicious and willful burning of the house of another. Originally, it was an offense against the security of habitation rather than against property rights. that destroyed Willamette High School's 50-year-old football grandstand. The boys, now ages 16 and 17, were booked into the John Serbu Youth Center on Thursday evening. They had been suspects in the case from the very beginning, said Lt. Rex Barrong of the Eugene Police Arson Investigation Unit. "Some of the school kids in the neighborhood came forward and said they had been bragging about it," Barrong said Friday. Officers only recently obtained enough statements and evidence to make arrests in the case, he said. They found no evidence implicating im·pli·cate tr.v. im·pli·cat·ed, im·pli·cat·ing, im·pli·cates 1. To involve or connect intimately or incriminatingly: evidence that implicates others in the plot. 2. the two in other area arsons, Barrong said. Both boys grew up in the Bethel School District Bethel School District may refer to:
prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Willamette Principal Jim Jamieson James A. Jamieson (born April 21, 1943) is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1970s. Jamieson was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan and raised in Moline, Illinois. He started playing golf at age 7 at Oakwood Country Club in Moline. . The boy was not suspended or expelled, but dropped out on his own, Jamieson added. The fire started on a hot Sunday morning Sunday Morning may refer to:
Fire investigators also found "large burned areas" on the dry lawns and roofs of homes several blocks away, which they attributed to cinders cin·der n. 1. a. A burned or partly burned substance, such as coal, that is not reduced to ashes but is incapable of further combustion. b. A partly charred substance that can burn further but without flame. from the blaze. That could play a key role in whether the boys are tried as adults for felony felony (fĕl`ənē), any grave crime, in contrast to a misdemeanor, that is so declared in statute or was so considered in common law. arson under Ballot Measure 11. The Lane County district attorney's office will decide how to charge the suspects. It had not yet received an arrest report, Chief Deputy Kent Mortimore said Friday. Felony arson is a Measure 11 offense only in cases that present a "reasonable threat of serious injury," Mortimore said. If charged and convicted under Measure 11, the boys could face as long as 7 1/2 years in prison, he said. In most cases, it is the newspaper's policy to print the names of juveniles charged with crimes only if they are Measure 11 crimes. The grandstand was "an integral piece of Willamette High," said Jamieson, who also attended a Friday afternoon press conference at City Hall to announce the arrests. "The folks in the Bethel Bethel, in the Bible Bethel (bĕth`əl) [Heb.,=house of God]. 1 Ancient city of central Palestine, the modern Baytin, the West Bank, N of Jerusalem. community spent time sitting in those bleachers, watching relatives play sports or graduate," he said. "It was like losing an old opera house or church - they had a lot of emotional memories there." The arrests bring "great relief " and "a little bit of closure," he said. The district set up temporary bleachers for athletic events and graduation at the field this year. It is set to break ground next month on a replacement grandstand of approximately the same size as the original, but made of metal and meeting current building codes - including restroom facilities. Officials hope to have most of the work completed for Willamette's first home football game on Sept. 16. Insurance on the destroyed grandstand and proceeds from a stadium fund drive will cover most of the project, though the district is still raising funds to add a ticket booth, entry gate and press box with elevator access, as required under disability access laws. The continuing fund drive also aims to raise $750,000 toward artificial turf Artificial turf, or synthetic turf, is a grass-like man-made surface manufactured from synthetic materials. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass, however, it is now being used on residential lawns and commercial , so the playing field is available to more groups and usable in rainy weather. Barrong credited the persistence of arson team officer Greg Calef in pursuing the investigation to the point that arrests could be made. WILLAMETTE STADIUM REPLACEMENT Organizers still seek tax-deductible donations toward a new grandstand and artificial turf. Checks payable to: Bethel School District Stadium Project Fund Address: 181 Echo Hollow Road Information: www.bethel.k12.or.us/stadium |
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