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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Ocklawaha mobile home dweller comes home to find kids’ new trampoline ablaze

An Ocklawaha man called a Marion County sheriff’s deputy for help after coming home from work last week and finding his children’s new trampoline on fire outside his mobile home.

The 35-year-old man, who lives in the 18100 block of SE 52nd Street in Jim and Martha’s Mobile Home Park, told the deputy that a crew from Marion County Fire Rescue had responded and put out the fire, which they deemed “suspicious in nature,” a sheriff’s office report states.

The man also told the deputy that a dispute had been going on throughout his neighborhood over certain people getting evicted from the mobile home park. He said he didn’t have any names of possible suspects nor video or photo evidence of someone setting the blaze, the report says, adding that man said his children “aren’t known to experiment with fire.”

The deputy then spoke with a Marion County fire marshal, who told him that the blaze would be listed as criminal mischief, since the trampoline was valued at only $450 wasn’t related to the man’s vehicle or residence. The fire marshal also said his agency wouldn’t be investigating the incident, nor would he be referring it to the State Fire Marshal’s office, the report says.

The trampoline owner said he was OK with the incident only being documented since he didn’t have any leads or evidence for a criminal case. He said he would be installing trail cameras throughout his property. And he promised to call the sheriff’s office if he spots anyone suspicious on his property in the future.