For the second time in less than three weeks, a roadside memorial has been vandalized, yet again leaving another grieving mother devastated as she continues to mourn the tragic loss of her daughter.
Jayné DeRosa, mother of 18-year-old A’Maya DeRosa, is still coming to terms with the unimaginable—losing her daughter in the island’s first road fatality of the year on January 10th, 2025. In honor of A’Maya, the family set up a memorial at the site of the accident on Middle Road in Paget, a small but meaningful tribute to a life taken far too soon.
On Saturday, March 29th, Jayné and her family placed two fresh bouquets at the memorial. By this morning, everything was gone. The cross, pictures, flowers—both fresh and artificial—had all been ripped away and tossed over the wall where the memorial stood.
“We got so many calls saying how beautiful it looked,” Jayné recalled. “Then this morning (Sunday), while taking my son to football, we passed by and saw that it was completely bare.”
The loss of her daughter was already unbearable. Now, facing this blatant act of cruelty, the family is left shaken once again.
“It takes a heartless human being to do something like this,” she said, voice thick with emotion. “If someone was trying to hurt us, they need to know—they’re not just hurting us. They’re hurting a family that’s already broken. They’re hurting a community that’s still grieving.”
Jayné isn’t sure whether the memorial was on private or public property, but the family had permission to place it there. Neighbors had supported them, even contributing flowers of their own when the tribute was first erected.
This vandalism is not an isolated act—it follows a similar incident just weeks ago at another memorial site. The repeated desecration of these tributes raises troubling questions about empathy, respect, and the state of the community.
“We have a long way to go as people,” Jayné said. “This isn’t just about my daughter’s memorial. There are dozens of memorials along the island’s roadsides, each one representing a life lost, a family grieving. This is an attack on all of us.”
Despite the pain, Jayné remains steadfast in her love for her daughter and her determination to keep A’Maya’s memory alive. She prays for peace, not just for her family, but for an island that needs to remember the value of compassion.
“I just hope people find it in their hearts to stop this cruel, callous behavior,” she said. “We haven’t even begun to properly grieve. And now this.”
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