UPDATE: FIRE AT OLD MAGIC LANDING AMUSEMENT PARK RULED AS ARSON
3850 Justice Dr. El Paso, Texas 79938 
NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Deputy Jesse Tovar / PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Direct: (915) 538-2223
Pager: (915) 533-0733 (#5370)
Release Date & Time: Thursday, NOVEMBER 20, 2008 4:00 PM
WHO: EL PASO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE (LOWER VALLEY PATROL / CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY DETECTIVES)
WHAT: ARSON INVESTIGATION COMMENCES
WHERE: 11090 GATEWAY EAST EL PASO COUNTY, TX
WHEN: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2008 7:15 PM
WHY: UPDATE - FIRE RULED AS ARSON
UPDATE: Sheriff's Office Arson Investigators have ruled last nights fire at the old Magic Landing Amusement Park as ARSON. Detectives found two areas on what remained of the structure as the point of origins in which one successfully ignited the building.
Sheriff Officials are urging anyone with information of who is responsible for this Arson to contact the Sheriff's Office at (915) 546-2280 or Crime Stoppers of El Paso at (915) 566-TIPS (8477).
BACKGROUND:
Wednesday night 11-19-08 at 7:15 PM, Sheriff Deputies were dispatched to a structure fire at the old Magic Landing Amusement park grounds located at 11090 Gateway East, El Paso County, TX. Deputies along with emergency services arrived moments later to find a large structure inside the park fully engulfed in flames. Five Volunteer Fire Departments -Socorro Fire Department, Horizon Fire Department, Clint Fire Department, San Elizario Fire Department & Montana Vista Fire Department all responded and began battling the blaze. Fire crews had to cut the locks from front gate to give access to fire department unit’s. Sheriff's Office Arson Investigators were summoned to the scene. Fire fighters continued fighting the fire & were able to completely extinguish it just before midnight.
The Property owners did not have an estimate on the value of the damaged property but did say they are insured for the loss. Property owners have advised they will prosecute anyone who may be responsible for this latest incident.
Sheriff's Office Arson Investigator's are continuing the investigation & have not ruled out Arson as the cause of this fire.
NO OTHER INFORMATION WILL BE RELEASED AT THIS TIME.
AN ATTEMPT TO UPDATE THIS CASE WILL BE MADE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
SHERIFF'S OFFICE ARCHIVES:
June 5, 2008- Sheriff Deputies were dispatched to a property located at 11090 Gateway East (Magic Landing Amusement Park), El Paso County Texas in reference to criminal trespass in progress. Deputies working Operation Border Star arrived a short time later and met with the reporters who advised Deputies they observed suspicious activity inside the property grounds such as flashing lights. Responding Deputies located 2 vehicles west of the location mentioned above.
Deputies entered the property in an attempt to locate the trespassers. Deputies heard noises & observed light coming from different areas inside the park grounds.
Multiple subjects inside the property then began running towards the west part of the property near the location of their vehicles. Deputies briefly chased, caught up, & detained 6 subjects (5 males, 1 female).
Sheriff Deputies contacted the property owner who filed charges against the subjects. All 6 were arrested and charged with Criminal Trespass.
Magic Landing is private property that is surrounded by a fence and signs posted "No Trespassing."
April 13, 2008- Sheriff Deputies along with several volunteer Fire Departments were called to this same property in reference to an Arson Fire. A estimated $485,000.00 was the total loss in that fire.
Property owners advised Sheriff's Officials they will prosecute anyone else caught on their properties without their consent.
END OF NEWS RELEASE 
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office in March of 2001 was the first Sheriff’s Office in the State of Texas to be Internationally Accredited from CALEA and is now the recipient of the First CALEA Tri-Arc award in Texas (4th in the Nation) to have accreditations in: Law Enforcement, Communications, Training Academy.