Hit-and-run victims' memorial placed in dumpster

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Family members of two hit-and-run victims say they're keeping a close eye on their memorial after someone tore it down early Wednesday.

"Whoever you are, you're a low life scumbag. This is a veteran. He died with honor trying to push his girlfriend out of the way," said Frank Giannazzo.

He said it was hard enough dealing with the death of his brother, Richard, and his fiancée, Diana Cole.

"As they were crossing Silver Star Road here, some guy plowed them down and just kept going," he said.

Officers charged 35-year-old Tammer Mansour with vehicular homicide.  

Giannazzo said Richard and Diana had just been to the Founder's Festival and were walking to the parking lot, when they were hit.

"The bodies were so mutilated, we couldn't even have an open casket."

And to add to that, gruesome pain.

"Somebody, I don't know who, decided to come here and tear down my brother's memorial."

Not just any memorial, a veteran's memorial with flags, flowers and candles.

"My brother was in the Marine Corps."

Giannazzo said pieces of the memorial were found in a nearby dumpster, so they fished them out and set it up again, but with added protection.

"Try to have somebody out here 24/7. Have people driving by throughout the evenings, throughout the mornings."

Officials with the Florida Department of Transportation said they didn't touch the memorial and wouldn't just throw it out.  Giannazzo said whoever did this, better not do it again.

"If you're out there and they're doing this, watch out. You're not going to get away with it! "

Unfortunately, late Wednesday, Giannazzo said someone did it again, before he could get people in place. Now, local businesses said they plan to look at surveillance to help find out who’s doing this.

Giannazzo said he's open to using an official FDOT marker to replace this memorial, if it prevents someone from taking it again.