Two New Jersey men have been arrested after video they posted on social media showed one of them urinating on a memorial dedicated to a 9-year-old who died of brain cancer.
In the video — recorded by Daniel Flippen, according to police — you can see Bryan Bellace laughing as he “relieved himself” right on the plaque honoring Christian Clopp, the son of retired police officer Mark Clopp.
Clopp responded to the vandal’s actions in a Facebook post, saying initially he wanted to “beat them senseless” in defense of his son’s honor, but realized he could do better.
“As for the two actors: I don’t know either one of you. I have no idea what exists in your life to make you so indifferent to how others feel but I hope this serves as a wake up call and you get the help you need,” he wrote. “I hope it doesn’t take the heartache my family has lived through to open your eyes. Something is wrong in your life and you need to fix it. You have done serious damage to your reputation; only you can fix it. How you respond to this dictates the direction your life will take.”
Christian passed away in 2012 and as NBC Philly reports, “his positive attitude, faith in God and incredible courage inspired people not only in his hometown but nationwide.”
Residents near the park showed their support for the Clopp family by cleaning the memorial — showing they would not condone this type of lewd behavior in their community.
“To see something so disgusting in a community that I love so much I felt it was my obligation to come down here and pay respect to this young man,” Desmond Walker told NBC Philly.
“Those who went to clean the playground: you are the glue that holds this community together,” Clopp wrote in his post. “Your actions were kind, thoughtful and selfless. You are the example of 'loving thy neighbor.' Thank God we have role models like you!”
Bellace was ultimately arrested and charged with lewdness, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief and having an open alcoholic beverage in a park. His partner, Flippen, was also charged with having an open alcoholic beverage in a park.
H/T: Blue Lives Matter