Teen electrocuted at FPL substation next to Miami park

Jesus Meneses, 17, dies after jumping fence at Kinloch Park to retrieve basketball

MIAMI – A teenager is dead after he was electrocuted Monday near a Miami community park.

Jesus Meneses, 17, was electrocuted when he made the mistake of jumping a fence at Kinloch Park to fetch a ball that had gone over into a neighboring power substation.

The teen's body was discovered about 6 p.m. inside a Florida Power & Light substation next to the park.

Kinloch Park staff said they heard a loud explosion and ran all the kids inside the community center. Staffers said they soon noticed a large crowd gathering by a fence next to the power substation that borders the park.

"I was sitting down and I heard an explosion, and they said that my friend Jesus was in there in the electricity plant," Andy Gonzalez said. "So we all ran to the fence that looks at it and I saw his body. I witnessed him on the ground next to a basketball."

Teens in the area said Meneses is not the only one who has jumped the fence that runs along the neighborhood park.

"The fence is really short," Josue Hernandez said. "It's maybe a little taller than me. You can jump over it."

Meneses' parents said they often worried about him playing at the park, but he would always call to say he was fine and with friends.

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Meneses was pronounced dead at the scene. His mother was cooking dinner when she got word of what happened.

Park employees said they never saw Meneses jump the fence and it appeared he went pretty deep into the substation. Some of his friends said Meneses may have only gone after the ball for someone else.

Classmates at Coral Gables High School wiped away tears while remembering their friend Tuesday.

"I just fell to the floor and  just started crying," Rosie Janis said.

"He was awesome," 10th grade student Yosnel Alfonso said. "It's pretty sad that he's gone now."

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