INVESTIGATION. ALSO BREAKING AT THIS HOUR, POLICE IN NEW BERLIN ARE INVESTIGATING A FIRE AT A PLAYGROUND. THIS VIDEO FROM NEWS CHOPPER 12 SHOWS POLICE TAPE SURROUNDING THE PLAYGROUND AND THE BASKETBALL COURT AT IOWA PARK IN NEW BERLIN THIS MORNING. 12 NEWS EMANI FLEMING IS THERE LIVE AND EMANI. POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING THIS AS ARSON. THEY ARE GERRON. POLICE SAY A 19 YEAR OLD MAN WHO ACTUALLY LIVES IN THIS AREA LIT THIS MERRY GO ROUND ON FIRE EARLY THIS MORNING AT AROUND 530. AND WE JUST TALKED TO POLICE WHO TELL US THERE WERE NEIGHBORS TRYING TO PUT IT OUT BEFORE OFFICERS GOT HERE. BUT NEIGHBORS IN THIS AREA TELL US NOW THEY’RE REALLY JUST ASKING WHY THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD PARK WAS TARGETED. I WAS PRETTY SHOCKED. I MEAN, IT’S NORMALLY A SAFE PARK. LOTS OF PEOPLE COMING AND GOING. I’M DEFINITELY GOING TO BE A LITTLE MORE ON ALERT, KIND OF WATCHING AROUND, SEE IF I NOTICE ANYTHING STRANGE AND SPEAK UP IF I SEE ANYTHING. THE NEW BERLIN DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR WAS HERE THIS MORNING ASSESSING THE DAMAGE, AND TOLD US THERE’S NO TIMELINE FOR HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE TO FIX. BUT THIS WILL BE EXPENSIVE. POLICE SAY A 911 CALLER ALERTED THEM TO THIS EARLY THIS MORNING AT AROUND 430. THEY SAY AGAIN THAT SMALL GROUP OF NEIGHBORS TRIED PUTTING OUT FLAMES ON THE MERRY GO ROUND BEFORE POLICE ARRIVED. THE FIRE WAS ACTUALLY BURNING FOR ABOUT AN HOUR BEFORE THEN. POLICE SAY THE SUSPECT, A 19 YEAR OLD, LIVES NEARBY AND THAT THEY HAD GAS CANS AND FOUR MOLOTOV COCKTAILS THAT LIT PARTS OF THE PARK AND PLAYGROUND ON FIRE. POLICE SAY THEY FOUND THE SUSPECT IN A NEARBY YARD. SHORTLY AFTER THAT. HE APPEARED TO BE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL AND WAS ARRESTED WITHOUT FORCE. AND THAT SUSPECT IS NOW IN THE WAUKESHA COUNTY JAIL, WAITING TO BE CHARGED. AND POLICE TELL US THAT THE SUSPECT WILL LIKELY FACE ARSON AND PROPERTY DAMAGE CHARGES HERE. HE ALSO. POLICE ALSO TOLD US THAT THE SUSPECT DID TELL OFFICERS WHY HE DID THIS. POLICE WOULDN’T SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH US, THOUGH. AND IN THE MEANTIME, THE PARK THAT HAS NOT BEEN IMPACTED IS STILL OPEN. WE HAVE SEEN SOME FAMILIES HERE AND SOME LITTLE KIDS EVEN ALREADY PLAYING ON THE EQUIPMENT. SO A LOT OF QUESTIONS FOR NEIGHBORS. BUT AGAIN, VERY MUCH AN IMPACT TO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD AFTER THIS FIRE THIS MORNING. ALL RI
Arrest made after New Berlin playground set on fire with Molotov cocktails
New Berlin police have arrested a man they believe set fire to a city park’s playground equipment early Friday morning
Updated: 11:37 AM CDT May 29, 2026
New Berlin police have arrested a 19-year-old suspect after a city park was found lit on fire Friday morning. Police are investigating the case as arson. Officers responded to Biwer Park on Sandalwood Drive around 4:40 a.m. Friday, after receiving reports from neighbors that the park was on fire and they spotted a man in the park with a gas can. When officers arrived, they found the park’s merry-go-round on fire. The New Berlin Fire Department was able to put out the fire, but authorities say the merry-go-round was destroyed. News Chopper 12’s Matt Salemme flew over the scene shortly after the fire was put out, showing the destruction to the merry-go-round as well as singe marks on the park’s basketball court. Police say the court’s damage was minimal. Shortly after the fire was discovered, officers located and arrested the suspect, a 19-year-old New Berlin man, without incident. Officers say the suspect started the fire with a series of Molotov cocktails, which are small improvised fire bombs. Officers believe the suspect acted alone, and there is no danger to the public. No one was injured in the fires. The suspect is now in the Waukesha County Jail awaiting charges. Top HeadlinesMPS board passes $1.6 billion budgetWisconsin gubernatorial candidate admits to stealing campaign signs Man pinned under boat, killed at Milwaukee boat storage businessWATCH Gun store video shows illegal purchase attempt
NEW BERLIN, Wis. —
New Berlin police have arrested a 19-year-old suspect after a city park was found lit on fire Friday morning. Police are investigating the case as arson.
Officers responded to Biwer Park on Sandalwood Drive around 4:40 a.m. Friday, after receiving reports from neighbors that the park was on fire and they spotted a man in the park with a gas can.
When officers arrived, they found the park’s merry-go-round on fire. The New Berlin Fire Department was able to put out the fire, but authorities say the merry-go-round was destroyed. News Chopper 12’s Matt Salemme flew over the scene shortly after the fire was put out, showing the destruction to the merry-go-round as well as singe marks on the park’s basketball court. Police say the court’s damage was minimal.
Shortly after the fire was discovered, officers located and arrested the suspect, a 19-year-old New Berlin man, without incident. Officers say the suspect started the fire with a series of Molotov cocktails, which are small improvised fire bombs.
Officers believe the suspect acted alone, and there is no danger to the public. No one was injured in the fires. The suspect is now in the Waukesha County Jail awaiting charges.
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