In every issue of this fine rag my hack team of wannabe journalists and I tackle some of the most laughable criminal acts that have recently happened in our area. Then - if we're doing our job - we write about those crimes in a way that makes you chuckle, or at the very least gives you something to do other than work on your spray tan.

This week's Ragnet (predictably) takes us to the Pagoda at Point Defiance Park.

Enjoy. - Matt Driscoll

The waves of shock reverberated throughout Tacoma. Mouths fell agape. Eyes stared in bewilderment. Dogs paced nervously.

On April 15 the beloved (apparently, BELOVED) and historic (apparently, HISTORIC) pagoda at Point Defiance Park was set ablaze, allegedly by a homeschooled 15-year-old boy. According to reports in the News Tribune, police officials say the fire was set early Friday morning, and was related to a string of break-ins and vandalism at the pagoda dating back to April 6. A press release from Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist announcing charges against the boy estimates damages to the pagoda to be at least $500,000. The nearly 100-year-old building was built in 1914 and is a replica of a 17th century Japanese lodge.

Lindquist's office charged the boy Monday, April 25, with first-degree arson, second-degree burglary, unlawful possession of an incendiary device and second-degree malicious mischief related to an April 6 break-in at the pagoda. According to the press release, which applauded the Ruston and Tacoma police departments' "smart police work and rapid apprehension of the suspect," the boy was arrested April 20 after being spotted by a Ruston police officer entering the park on bicycle at approximately 1 a.m. The boy was allegedly found wearing gardening gloves and carrying a backpack containing a one-gallon plastic can of gas. As if that wasn't damning enough, a pat down revealed a box of wooden matches and a cell phone. After obtaining a search warrant police examined the phone, finding such gems as:

April 6: "Hey ... I broke into a building," from 12:51 a.m.

and ...

April 14: "Hey ... we should start a fire in that 1 building I told u about," from 11:24 p.m.

While a 15-year-old home-schooled boy sneaking out in the middle of the night and setting fires, and later sending incriminating text messages to his buddies, is both troubling and (admit it) just a tad funny, what's most remarkable about this story - at least in our humble opinion - is the reaction from the Tacoma community. Reports and descriptions of the fire - from the Trib, online sources and even the prosecutor's office - have described the Pagoda as "iconic," a "centerpiece" and "an important landmark in our community."

As many Tacomans know, the pagoda is best known for holding a lot of weddings and the occasional meeting. Prior to this unfortunate blaze, most people - instead of "historic," "iconic," or "a centerpiece" - just referred to the pagoda as, "that place my sister-in-law got married," or "that place we held our meetings before moving them closer to downtown," or "that place I let my golden retriever poop and didn't scoop it."

Whatever you call the pagoda, it seems the 15-year-old responsible for setting fire to it will face justice. Thank goodness. - Billiam Waldwin, Arson Related Crime Correspondent