Two men were arrested after video surfaced showing one of them urinating on a memorial for a South Jersey boy who died from cancer while the other recorded and laughed, police said.
Bryan Bellace was arrested and charged with lewdness, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief and having an open alcoholic beverage in a park. He was later released on a summons.
Daniel Flippen, who police say was the man filming Bellace, was charged with having an open alcoholic beverage in a park.
The memorial, located at Underhill Park in Mays Landing, New Jersey, is for Christian Clopp.
Clopp, of Mays Landing, died in 2012 at the age of 9 after battling brain cancer. His positive attitude, faith in God and incredible courage inspired people not only in his hometown but nationwide.
Christian’s father, Mark Clopp, wrote on Facebook he was made aware of the video showing the man defacing the memorial.
“Christian was a child who represented everything that was right,” he wrote. “He had no enemies and smiled at everyone he came in contact with. These scumbags represent everything wrong; narcissistic, drunken scumbags with no regard for anyone or anything.”
Several community members helped clean up the memorial in support of the boy, including Maria Wagner, a family friend.
“This boy touched my heart,” she said. “He had such a strong faith in God. He inspired me.”
Desmond Walker, football coach of the Mays Landing Lakers, also helped to disinfect the memorial.
"To see something so disgusting in a community I love so much, I felt it was my obligation to come down here and pay respect to this young man," Walker said.
Wagner also had a message for the men responsible.
“You should be ashamed of yourself,” she said. “A 9-year-old boy has more dignity than you.”
