IMPERIAL, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com) -
Torched twice in a month. Vandals set fire to a playground at an Imperial church dedicated to a child who died of cancer. Parish members tell me 36 thousand dollars in damage was done to the playground at the St. Joseph Catholic Church from both fires. The mom of the young boy who is remembered in the playground says the fires are upsetting.
But Mary Truetken has faith that something positive will rise from the tragedy.
"It hurts, it hurts a lot," said Mary.
Mary has a right to hurt. The playground was dedicated in honor of her son Jeremiah- he was just nine years old when he died in 2004 of brain cancer. The first fire happened in the early morning hours of February 17th. Mary thought maybe it was an accident. But then, the playground was torched again a month later on March 17th. That's when Mary knew it was something more sinister.
"That was hard to understand why anybody would do it again. It was hard to fathom that," explained Mary. The playground was used by the kindergarten through eighth graders who attend school at St. Joseph's. Eight year old Christine Minicky says recess isn't the same without it. Christine told us, "At recess you don't really play as much as you used to when you were on the playground."
The associate pastor of the church, Father Edward Nemeth, said the second time the playground was set on fire was especially tough to take.
He told us, "It's something you really can't understand. Why, why a playground? I mean It's a playground where children play."
A plaque for Jeremiah was salvaged from the flames. It says he's a "champion slider'- a tribute to Jeremiah's love for slides. Jeremiah's mom hopes to re-build a bigger and better playground as she prays for whoever burned this one.
Mary said, "I think we need to forgive them and move on." She added, "Maybe they need to realize that they have some problems they need to deal with and hurting other people is not going to solve them."
Investigators with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department believe both fires were deliberately set most likely by the same people. They also believe the same people could be behind two other fires that were set on March 17th. One was in trash cans at a home near St. Joseph's; the other damaged a house across the street from the church and school. So far police have no suspects.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Jefferson County Sheriffs Department.
But Mary Truetken has faith that something positive will rise from the tragedy.
"It hurts, it hurts a lot," said Mary.
Mary has a right to hurt. The playground was dedicated in honor of her son Jeremiah- he was just nine years old when he died in 2004 of brain cancer. The first fire happened in the early morning hours of February 17th. Mary thought maybe it was an accident. But then, the playground was torched again a month later on March 17th. That's when Mary knew it was something more sinister.
"That was hard to understand why anybody would do it again. It was hard to fathom that," explained Mary. The playground was used by the kindergarten through eighth graders who attend school at St. Joseph's. Eight year old Christine Minicky says recess isn't the same without it. Christine told us, "At recess you don't really play as much as you used to when you were on the playground."
The associate pastor of the church, Father Edward Nemeth, said the second time the playground was set on fire was especially tough to take.
He told us, "It's something you really can't understand. Why, why a playground? I mean It's a playground where children play."
A plaque for Jeremiah was salvaged from the flames. It says he's a "champion slider'- a tribute to Jeremiah's love for slides. Jeremiah's mom hopes to re-build a bigger and better playground as she prays for whoever burned this one.
Mary said, "I think we need to forgive them and move on." She added, "Maybe they need to realize that they have some problems they need to deal with and hurting other people is not going to solve them."
Investigators with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department believe both fires were deliberately set most likely by the same people. They also believe the same people could be behind two other fires that were set on March 17th. One was in trash cans at a home near St. Joseph's; the other damaged a house across the street from the church and school. So far police have no suspects.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Jefferson County Sheriffs Department.
