Jul 3, 2008 6:30 pm US/Eastern
Memorial Vandalism Results In Dog Shooting
ESTELL MANOR, N.J. (CBS 3) ―
A family living in Estell Manor awoke to gun fire Thursday
morning. A state trooper was called to the Lopez residence after several complaints
regarding nails in the street near a roadside memorial and was forced to shoot
the family's dog.
The memorial, which had been standing for over a year as a
dedication to the couple's dead son, had been taken down without the family's
knowledge.
"Everything's gone. They just bagged everything up,
took it to a landfill. Everything there meant everything to us. I felt like
they removed his headstone from his grave," said Sue Lopez.
The state trooper responding to the complaints said that shooting
the dog, which remains in critical condition, was an unfortunate incident that
he was forced to make to ensure his own safety.
"He could've maced my dog or shot his gun in the
air" said George Lopez.
A trust fund has been set up to help the Lopez family pay medical
bills for their ailing dog.
City officials stress the importance of respecting people's
property and the heartaches such antics can cause.
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