Family speaking out about notice from city of Yuma about roadside memorial

City of Yuma cites new policy for taking down makeshift memorial

A mother and daughter are speaking out about a notice from the city of Yuma placed on a makeshift memorial dedicated to one of their dearly departed family members.

The city of Yuma says they were forced to take action after receiving a complaint from a neighbor.

The roadside memorial has been in place near the intersection of 16th St. and A Ave. since 2013 to honor the memory of Jesus Meza who tragically died in a car accident.

Mary Lucero, Meza's sister, found a notice from the city right next to the site saying it had to be taken down within 30 days.

Lucero says she's not sure who would launch a complaint about her brother's memorial after all these years, especially after getting permission from the neighbors.

"We told them if it was a problem, you guys could let us know and they said no, we don't have a problem we never had an issue", said Lucero.

But it wasn't just that, she says the cross has been kicked down twice and it's been kept at the family's home ever since.

"The first time it got kicked down we had to put more cement so it could stay still. I don't understand how people don't have respect for that… that obviously hurts me because why would someone kick down my brother's memorial cross? He already passed away what else do they have to do?"

Some of the neighbors say they don't have a problem with the memorial, and aren't sure who would.

As for the notice, the city says it's a fairly new policy which says in part that makeshift memorials can only be up for three years, after which they will be taken down.

But it also states that memorial sites erected prior to the effective policy date might be allowed to remain in place.

Mary says her mother is upset about the situation, but is keeping her frustrations to herself. More importantly, the Luceros say they don't want this to happen to anyone else.