Advertisement

Woman tears down boy's memorial because 'there's been enough mourning'

A woman has taken it upon herself to dismantle a memorial for a 12-year-old boy killed in a road accident because she feels grieving time is over.

In October, 12-year-old Sammy Cohen Eckstein was killed after he ran onto a road to retrieve a ball and was hit by a commercial van.

Family and friends soon set up a memorial full of flowers, teddy bears, letters and photos of Sammy to honour the popular boy.

Just three months after Sammy's death, a woman was spotted with scissors and a large shopping bag to put the mementos inside, according to FIPS.

An anonymous tipster sent this message in to FIPS, claiming the memorial used to stand across the road from where Sammy's parents and sister still live:

Biked into 3rd St. entrance to Prospect Park just as a woman was cutting all of the mementos off of Sammy’s memorial. The woman came prepared with a scissor and large shopping bag to put the mementos in. It so happened that another neighbourhood parent - whose child was also a friend of Sammy’s - happened to run by and as he yelled at her she said she felt that there had been “enough mourning.” She told me she lived in Park Slope, which she felt gave her the right to do this.

Sammy and his older sister, Tamar. Photo: Supplied.
Sammy and his older sister, Tamar. Photo: Supplied.

"I told her I was calling the police and she said she would sit on the bench and wait for them, which she did. The police arrived in less than 3 minutes and the two officers looked incredulous when we told them what she had done," the witness continued.

Sammy's mother, Amy Cohen, told Gothamist that a friend had told her what happened after reading it on Facebook.

"I cried inconsolably when I heard but I have no more information," she said.

Sammy Cohen Eckstein was 12 years old when he was fatally hit by a van. Photo: Supplied.
Sammy Cohen Eckstein was 12 years old when he was fatally hit by a van. Photo: Supplied.

Friends and family of Sammy have since replaced the missing items at the memorial.

What do you think? Did the local resident have the right to take down the memorial? Let us know in the comments below.