18-year-old arrested after fire destroys Peoria playground

PEORIA, AZ (AZFamily) — An 18-year-old is in custody after a Peoria playground was torched last month, causing tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage.

Authorities say that just before 4 p.m. on Sept. 24, Peoria firefighters and police officers were called to the Roundtree Ranch Park near 83rd and Olive avenues. According to court documents, police saw smoke billowing from a distance and arrived to see the fire growing rapidly.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze, but not before it burned the entire playset, the surrounding wood chips and a large overhead shade.

Officers spoke with a witness who saw the suspect setting the woodchips on fire, then took a photo of his backside before he jumped the fence to an apartment complex next door. One officer saw a person matching the suspect’s description in the complex but lost sight of him.

Police set up a perimeter in the area and spoke with a driver leaving the area, asking him if he had seen someone matching that description. Documents say the driver said no but appeared “visibly uncomfortable.”

Based on the driver’s behavior, police ran the license plate and learned that an 18-year-old lived at the same address. Officers went to the home, and a woman answered the door and went to get her son.

Police spoke with the 18-year-old, identified as Jah’yeir Salaam, who reportedly admitted to setting the woodchips on fire. According to documents, he started the fire because he was “having thoughts,” but said he thought he put it out and did not intend for it to grow.

Salaam was taken into custody on charges of arson of a structure, criminal damage and reckless burning. The estimated damage is believed to be around $125,000-$150,000.

No injuries were reported from the fire. The investigation is ongoing.

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