“If we catch them, we will press charges,” said District Manager Jim Nikkel. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Department is now involved with the case. Sgt. Lori Bronner said “$2,500 is a felony. That’s a serious offense.” If caught, the criminals would face charges that include second-degree arson, which is a Class four felony, and criminal mischief. Reports of vandalism in Castle Pines North began in February when spray paint and stencil graffiti appeared in local parks. Since then, incidents are happening more frequently. In early March, a picnic table at Coyote Ridge Park was set on fire, leaving a pile of its melted rubber coating on the ground. Despite the District’s efforts to repaint, stencil graffiti continuously reappears on the park’s gazebo. And most recently, staff discovered someone attempted to set fire to a park restroom. At the skate park, vandals tried to destroy the grates under the skate ramps and break the struts. Portions of the split rail fence nearby were taken apart and broken into pieces. And two months ago, vandalism inside a park restroom necessitated a full-scale chemical cleaning using protective suits. “It’s a problem that doesn’t seem to go away,” said Craig Miller, Parks and Open Space manager. Miller estimates work to clean graffiti, grind down concrete, and paint over the vandalism would cost the District $12,000 to $15,000 in staff time.