Nails Close Park in Mission Viejo

A razor blade and construction nails were discovered at a Mission Viejo park early Monday, prompting school officials to close the playground to elementary students.

There has been a rash of discoveries of sharp objects at South County parks since late April.

But police detectives don’t think the incidents are the work of the same person.

Rather, the objects found Monday were probably placed by a copycat, said Jim Amormino, spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

He said an unidentified teen noticed a razor blade sticking out of wood chips in the playground of Napoli Park as he jogged by shortly after 6 a.m. Monday.

The teen ran home and told his father, who called police.

Authorities searched the playground with metal detectors about 6:35 a.m. and found 13 nails and one razor blade, most placed underneath pull-up bars.

Police declined to give details about the nails or razors, saying it would only encourage copycats.

The park is next to Bathgate Elementary School, in the 27000 block of Napoli Way.

It is used by third- through fifth-grade students, said David Smollar, spokesman for the Capistrano Unified School District.

As with other schools in the district, Bathgate’s playground has been checked daily by maintenance crews.

They use metal detectors and rakes to check the grounds before classes begin, school officials said.

It was closed Monday as police scoured it for evidence.

“There’s nothing funny about it because when they get caught, it’s going to be very, very serious,” Amormino said.