METRO VANCOUVER — Thieves have defaced the roadside memorial lovingly maintained for Charlene Reaveley and Lorraine Cruz, who were killed by an alleged hit-and-run driver in February.
Colin Ogilvie, Reaveley’s father, said ornaments and solar lights were stolen from the memorial site at Lougheed Highway and Pitt River Road about two weeks ago.
“I had taken the children to Osoyoos and my son-in-law was going to tend the memorial site. That night, he reported that he’d had a tough day because someone had come along and defaced it,” Ogilvie told The Coquitlam NOW.
“He found that someone had come along and stole all the solar lights and decoratives that we had set up there, along with some tropical plants. I felt it was rather disgusting.”
The vandal knocked over the photographs and tried to steal another set of lights that were tied together, Ogilvie added.
As well, a mannequin face was stolen from its spot next to Cruz’s photo.
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“It was a beautiful thing beside her photograph, along with some tropical plants,” Ogilvie said.
“Her family had planted some tropical plants, and all of that was dug up and taken away – but other plants that were dying off now are left.”
On Feb. 19, 30-year-old Reaveley had crossed the street to help 26-yearold Cruz and her boyfriend, who had been in a minor accident. A driver struck the two women, who were both killed in the collision.
Ogilvie visits the site each night with his son-in-law Dan, who witnessed the impact that took his wife’s life.
“Every night, we have the memorial for Charlene and Lorraine lit up. If I’m not doing it, Dan’s doing it, if not both of us,” he said.
“We tend our memorial every single night, for six months. It will be coming up to 207 days we have continued our memorial for Charlene, while also maintaining Lorraine’s alongside it.
And then Dan and I, we do the same at the cemetery. We light it up and make it pretty.”
Family members will continue to maintain the memorial, despite the recent vandalism.
“It’s not the value that’s bothering me so much. It’s just the callousness of some individuals who disrespect the effort that we’ve put into honouring Charlene’s memory, and Lorraine’s,” Ogilvie said.
“I don’t have a clue who it could be, but it’s someone that has no sense of compassion, obviously.”
Cory Sater faces 10 charges related to the crash, including two counts each of dangerous driving causing death, impaired driving causing death and causing an accident resulting in death.
Sater’s next court date is set for Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 9: 30 a.m. in Port Coquitlam provincial court.
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