'Acts of a coward': Memorial vandalized for victims of fatal Gold Canyon crash
Stolen memorial adds to family's grief after crash near Gold Canyon
A roadside tribute for three women killed in an October crash was vandalized this week. The family of victim Nadia is pleading for the plaque's return.
NEAR GOLD CANYON, Ariz. - The family of a woman killed in a crash last fall is facing more heartache after an act of vandalism at her memorial site.
The backstory:
Several yards off U.S. 60 — near Gold Canyon — lies a memorial for three young women who lost their lives in a nearby crash last October. The tributes were put up in just the last month after a process Jordan Lee calls extensive.
"A lot of paperwork as far as ADOT, getting it approved, we actually cemented them into the ground," Lee said. "We had a welder come out and weld the plaques to the frame as well."
Gold Canyon crash kills 4; investigation underway
A two-car collision on eastbound U.S. 60 near Peralta Road near Gold Canyon resulted in four deaths late Friday night. Three victims died at the scene, and one died after being transported to a hospital.
What they're saying:
Jordan's sister Cari Elaine Lee and fiancé Nadia Marie Biascoechea were two of the women killed when another driver hit their car. Nadia's name still brings a smile to his face.
"She was just an incredible person, extremely kind, very witty, very green about everything, she was very childlike, so she made me feel like a kid again every moment I was with her," Lee said.
Jordan says the memorial site is a way to help the families of the lost women heal, including him and Nadia’s two young children.
"It’s extremely meaningful for us, this is a place that me and the kids can come and kinda feel like we can be with her, my sister, and Noel as well," Jordan said.
But this past week, Nadia’s loved ones discovered her plaque had been taken.
"I was distraught. Very confused, a little angry. It was a rollercoaster for sure," Jordan said.
Due to the remote location of the plaques, Lee says he’s at a loss for how — or why — someone would do this, and how to find out who did.
"I'm not sure where to go. I haven’t contacted any authorities as of yet. I do think I will be filing a police report, you know, it’s the least I could do," Lee said.
In the meantime, he’s channeling Nadia and her faith that the plaque will return.
"One of her purposes here was just to bring others closer to God, so she helped guide me through that path as well. I try to control the things that I can and not stress about the things that I can’t. I’m not going to let the acts of a coward get me down," Jordan said.
Jordan says the family may create a fundraiser to replace the plaque, but they really just want the original one back. If you have seen anything or know who took this plaque, please reach out to authorities or bring it back to its rightful place.