Erie Police honor second grader

Town of Erie

During the July 22 board of trustees meeting, Black Rock Elementary student Dominic Gaeta was awarded a Citizen Certificate of Appreciation by the Town of Erie and the Erie Police Department for his fundraising efforts in support of rebuilding the Black Rock Elementary playground.

After the July 3 fire destroyed the playground at Black Rock Elementary School, Dominic thought long and hard about what he could do to make the situation better. Ultimately, the second grader decided to empty his piggy bank and offer his money to the school to help rebuild his playground. Word of Dominic’s efforts quickly spread through social media. As of July 21, over $2,700 has been raised due to Dominic’s selflessness.

According to Erie Chief of Police Marc Vazquez, Dominic’s efforts are commendable. “Dominic is only in the second grade - and yet, at this young age he has demonstrated what it means to be a caring member of the community,” Vasquez said. “After the fire it was easy to focus on the negative. Dominic turned that around big time,” he said.

On July 3, Erie police officers arrested three juvenile males (ages 16, 17 and 17) and one adult male (age 18), in connection with the June 18, fire in the playground area at the Black Rock Elementary School, 2000 Mountain View Blvd, Erie. Erie Police worked with Mountain View Fire Rescue and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to successfully resolve this arson.

The fire was first reported during the early morning hours on June 18, when multiple 911 calls from the Vista Ridge community were received by Boulder County Dispatch. The Erie Police Department, Mountain View Fire Rescue and Lafayette Fire Department responded. Fire personnel quickly extinguished the flames and a subsequent investigation determined the cause of the fire was likely arson.

Damage is estimated at between $50,000 and $80,000 by St. Vrain Valley School District officials. During the course of the investigation, members of the Erie Police Department were able to identify the suspects and develop information which led to the arrest of the individuals involved in the arson.