Plaques Stolen From Monmouth County 9/11 Memorial At Mt. Mitchell
ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, N.J. (CBSNewYork) – Police in New Jersey say someone stole three 9/11 memorial plaques from a Monmouth County park.
From the Mt. Mitchell Scenic Overlook in Atlantic Highlands, you can see clear across to New York City and One World Trade -- a beacon.
For that reason, the park was chosen for the Monmouth County 9/11 memorial, CBS2's Meg Baker reports.
"We, unfortunately, saw things firsthand without a television here in our town, and our residents and volunteers all supported the effort that day," said Atlantic Highlands Police Captain Thomas Stone.
Now, 18 years later, the sacred spot has been disrespected.
Bronze plaques with a timeline of the attacks were stolen along a path leading to the names of those who were lost. They disappeared sometime Wednesday or Thursday.
"The plaques that are missing were embedded in stone, but they're bronze. They're valued not only for their bronze but also their sentimental value," Stone said.
Locals call the theft a disgrace.
"Are you kidding me? What kind of patriot would do that?" said Nancy Ocean, a former Atlantic Highlands resident.
A Korean War veteran visiting the memorial got emotional.
"I was just looking up at the monument here, and it's just so, so appropriate," he said. "I'm lost for words to be honest. I can't imagine someone doing that to a place like this."
Bob Forrnes lost a neighbor and friend that day. His name is etched under the town of Manalapan.
"My neighbor, Tom McCann, whose name is there, who perished, he was a fireman from New York," Forrnes said. "Hopefully, they catch the people and prosecute them to the full extent of the law."
Police say the 24-inch bronze plates are extremely heavy. They have alerted all appropriate local shops where the thieves might try to fence them for cash.
Monmouth County Crime Stoppers is offering a $5,000 reward for any information, and police say the plaques can be dropped off anonymously at a neutral location, like the post office.
Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call the Atlantic Highlands Police Headquarters at (732) 291-1212.
