MERIDIAN, Idaho — Roaring Springs Water Park and the Meridian Police Department are providing new details after videos circulated online showing a man being escorted out of the park Sunday night before being arrested for trespassing.
Roaring Springs spokesperson Tiffany Watts said the incident began around 6 p.m. Sunday after a guest alerted a lifeguard about a man near the park’s perimeter fence.
“So we have an 8-foot security fence that runs the 13-acre perimeter of the water park. This is an exceedingly rare occurrence that an adult would climb the fence in broad daylight,” Watts said.
WATCH: Meridian Police, Roaring Springs address viral trespassing incident at water park
Park leadership said staff immediately initiated security protocols, communicating through radios, reviewing surveillance footage, and searching for the suspect.
“We're able to find him and immediately call Meridian police and then escort him to the front of the water park,” Watts said.
Meridian Police Patrol Sergeant Brandon Clyde said officers contacted the man and issued him a trespassing warning, instructing him to leave the property.
“He failed to depart and our officers subsequently arrested him for failing to depart the park and he was arrested for trespassing and taken to Ada County Jail,” Clyde said.
One viral social media video included claims that the suspect was “shopping for kids,” but Meridian Police say there is no evidence supporting that accusation.
Police told Idaho News 6 that “There is no evidence showing that there were any photos of kids taken, nor evidence pointing towards this claim."
Investigators also say the man was intoxicated during the encounter, and no additional charges are being pursued at this time.
Roaring Springs leaders say the incident is prompting additional security measures heading into the busy summer season.
“We do appreciate guests being a second set of eyes for us and if they see something just say something so then we can act if the situation requires it,” Watts said.
The park also provided Idaho News 6 with a behind-the-scenes look at its surveillance operations. Officials say the system includes more than 100 cameras monitoring activity across the 13-acre property.
Leaders say the cameras help staff quickly respond to incidents and supplement the work of the park’s more than 600 employees.
“Thanks to the extensive surveillance system we have throughout the park, we were able to observe that the individual in question didn't appear to have any interactions or contact with any other guests while he was in the water park,” Watts said.
Clyde said police will continue monitoring the area throughout the summer.
“There's a lot of camera systems in here. We will continue to investigate everything to its full and extent max... Don't come here to this park and commit crime,” Clyde said.
Meridian Police say officers increase random but routine patrols around the parking lot and surrounding areas during the summer months.
