Two teen girls were arrested and held on arson charges following a fire Friday afternoon at the Wilson Park Rotunda in Ark City, local officials said.
Around 1:30 p.m., police and fire personnel were dispatched to a report that the rotunda was on fire. Flames and smoke were visible coming out of the rotunda bathrooms.
Police were contacted by the parks department who informed them a citizen eating lunch in the park had viewed two girls turning over park benches and going in and out of the bathrooms.
The girls left the park and less than a minute later there was a fire in the girls’ bathroom. It was reported that the juveniles were in the area of Third and Vine and a parks worker detained the two until police arrived.
Police took the pair to the police department where further investigation gave them probable cause to charge the girls, both 13, with arson.
They were transported to a juvenile detention center in Hutchinson where they will remain until a detention hearing next week. Their names were not made public.
The rotunda is closed for the weekend due to damage from the fire. The structure is marked with police barrier tape.
If anyone is seen in the rotunda before it is reopened, they are subject to trespassing charges, authorities said.
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