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KAYSVILLE — Two Layton High School students were arrested this week for allegedly setting Davis High School's new multimillion-dollar football field on fire.
The students, both 16, were arrested Monday for investigation of arson and criminal trespassing, said Kaysville Police Sgt. Shawn McKinnon. They were booked into the Farmington Bay Juvenile Detention Facility.
Investigators say the boys went to Davis High School about 8:30 p.m. Saturday with a container of gasoline, poured it on the north end of the football field and burned an 8-foot by 6-foot area. A nearby resident saw the fire and called 911.
Damage to the field was estimated at between $10,000 and $15,000, McKinnon said. Davis spent $2 million to install a new field within the past two years, he said.
The teens were caught after people who apparently knew about the incident started talking about it.
The boys really didn't have a reason for torching the field, other than 'they thought it was something fun to do.'
–Kaysville Police Sgt. Shawn McKinnon
One lead came from a message posted on Twitter, McKinnon said. Rumors also began spreading throughout the hallways of Layton High School. That's when the principal and school resource officer contacted officials at Davis High, McKinnon said.
After conducting interviews, investigators narrowed their search down to the two boys who were subsequently arrested, McKinnon said. The boys really didn't have a reason for torching the field, other than "they thought it was something fun to do," he said. There did not appear to be any type of school rivalry motive involved.
McKinnon said Davis School District officials will likely seek restitution to pay for the damaged field.
