In Port St. Lucie, a 27-year-old man found himself behind bars on Thursday, following allegations by the Port St. Lucie Police that he had desecrated memorials dedicated to three individuals who tragically lost their lives in a recent crash. The memorials, adorned with crosses, flowers, pictures, and candles, had been a poignant tribute along a stretch of Southeast Veterans Memorial Parkway, marking the spot where a devastating accident on March 15 claimed three lives and left two others injured when a 2017 Dodge Ram veered off the road and collided with a tree.
Nicholas Lee Pense, residing on Northwest Marion Avenue in Port St. Lucie, faces a felony charge for the destruction or demolition of a memorial or historic property. The incident has stirred emotions in the community, highlighting the profound impact of the loss.
The crash site, located just west of U.S. 1 on the 1900 block of Southeast Veterans Memorial Parkway, became a focal point of grief for the city. Port St. Lucie residents Leah Herman, 20, Draiden Frank, 16, and Jimmy Brown, 18, from Okeechobee, were the lives mourned at the vandalized memorials. The accident also resulted in injuries to a 17-year-old girl and a 19-year-old man, with the latter having since been discharged from the hospital, while the former continues her recovery from non-life-threatening injuries.
The act of vandalism was witnessed early Thursday by a lieutenant who reported seeing Pense damaging the memorials. Pense, who was found with wax on his shoe and pant leg—evidence consistent with the act of kicking over lit candles at the memorials—admitted to being unable to sleep and obsessing over the memorial.
This is not the first arrest related to the crash site. On March 18, a 20-year-old was apprehended on charges of racing on a highway after being caught performing burnouts at the location. He revealed that his brother was among the three who perished in the crash.
The Port St. Lucie Police Department, under the leadership of Acting Police Chief Richard Del Toro, has expressed a firm stance against any actions that compromise the safety and sanctity of the memorial site. Del Toro emphasized the department’s commitment to ensuring the safety of mourners and motorists alike, declaring that reckless driving, burnouts, and vandalism will not be tolerated.
As the community continues to navigate through this period of mourning and remembrance, the police investigation into the fatal crash remains ongoing, underscoring the importance of respectful and safe conduct in honoring those lost.
In related news, the community also reflects on other recent tragedies, including a fatal hit-and-run incident in Stuart that left a family mourning their charismatic loved one, and an ongoing search for a 22-year-old man with ties to Fort Pierce, wanted in connection with a homicide in Miami, as reported by the FBI.
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