Jackson 17-year-old may get felony for burning pep rally car

A 17-year-old Jackson student faces a possible felony and five varsity football players will sit out tonight's game for burning a junk car, an incident some view as horseplay that got out of control.

Before each year's highly anticipated football matchup between the Jackson Indians and the Cape Girardeau Central Tigers, Jackson High School students paint a donated junk car in Central's traditional orange and then bash it repeatedly during a school-organized pep rally.

After the Oct. 8 car beating -- the game was Oct. 9 -- the car was left in the multipurpose building parking lot. Investigators said a handful of students lifted it up on its side Saturday night.

Someone took it a step further by placing a burning leaf in some of the car's leaking fuel, police said. Firefighters put the fire out at around midnight Saturday.

Superintendent Ron Anderson said the district took "disciplinary action" against the students, but he declined to elaborate on the extent of that punishment. No names of students involved were released.

Football coach Carl Gross confirmed that five sophomore players -- two of whom were to be starters -- were suspended from playing in tonight's game against Poplar Bluff, and the suspensions were related to the fire.

The fire didn't leave any apparent damage to the parking lot, principal Rick McClard said.

The car "was supposed to be hauled off by some kids from student council," he said.

Neither McClard nor Anderson knew exactly when this disposal was supposed to occur.

Police and school staff interviewed students beginning Tuesday, said Jackson police officer Rick Whitaker. Those interviews revealed that about 10 to 12 people were in the area when the car was set on fire. Interviews with that group led police to the suspect. The state fire marshal's office was also involved in the investigation.

The teen was taken into custody Wednesday but was released pending further review by the county prosecuting attorney's office. Police requested he be charged with knowingly burning, which is a class D felony.

The suspect expressed remorse for the fire, Whitaker said.

"He realized what he did was a mistake and was very sorry and apologetic for what happened," Whitaker said. "I've been in this business for 10 years, and after speaking with him, I truly believe he was sorry."

But the officer said the community still needs to take the event seriously.

"We've got a message to put out there to the kids," he said. "We're not going to stand for this kind of thing to happen. You can't do it."

mwells@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 160