Local News: UPDATE Suspected Vandal Arrested Burglarizing Park Concession Stand (7/18/24)

Alerted to a problem at the Forest Park splash pad Monday night, authorities found a 19-year-old man breaking into the concession stand.

The announcement comes after several recent reports of graffiti in the park’s restrooms. When the news spread on social media, people began contributing to a reward fund for information about the issue.

At last count, the reward was about $300.

However, the capture of Pablo Sevier in an incident Monday in Forest Park may render that question moot.

WHAT HAPPENED

On Monday around 7:10 p.m., police in Brazil were notified of a disturbance near the wading pool at Forest Park. The disturbance apparently involved an intoxicated man.

The police were nearby, allowing them to respond quickly. Once there, they were told that a man had approached people at the wading pool, started yelling and swearing, and made a comment about being drunk. However, the man had disappeared by the time the police arrived.

Witnesses described the man as young and dark-skinned. A photo of the man had been taken by a local resident and provided to police.

Once officers saw the photo, they identified the man as Pablo Sevier.

Officers immediately began searching the park.

Meanwhile, Clay County 911 notified officers that someone had broken into the concession stand near the playground.

Officers responded and entered the concession stand, where they located Sevier inside.

Sevier was arrested and booked into the Clay County Justice Center on charges of:

Burglary,

Disorderly conduct,

Public intoxication,

and low consumption.

Park Superintendent Marv Moon expressed his gratitude to the Brazilian Police Department for its quick action to keep the park safe.

REWARD

Moon believes the arrest could be a response to several recent events in the region.

Mayor Brian Wyndham agrees.

“We have people here who really care about their community. This shows that,” Wyndham said. “It takes a lot of hours of work to keep our parks in this condition. It’s a shame that something like this would happen.”

As for the reward, the public was involved. Moon said he had donors, but the money had not yet been collected.

“Everyone will keep their share of the reward donations,” Moon said. “If we encounter another problem, we can contact you again.”

“It shows what kind of community we really have,” Moon said of the incident.