Memorial To Rhode Island Boy Vandalized: Police Ask For Help

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. — Police are asking the public's help in finding information on whoever vandalized the Brandon M. Austin memorial fountain at Fagan Park. The South Kingstown Police Department posted photos of the vandalism on their Facebook on Thursday, Nov. 29 (shared below).

Brandon died at age 13 in 2014 from an all-terrain-vehicle accident. His immense love for animals sparked in his parents the idea to start the Brandon M. Austin Memorial Fund.

The Memorial Fund works to give back to the community in the form of support for animal rescues and wildlife rehabilitators and scholarships.

Loralie Austin, Brandon's mother, sent a statement to Patch saying they wont be using money from the fund to fix the fountain . "I have decided that I (we) do not want to take away from Brandon's Memorial Fund to repair damages. We want that fund to be about 'doing good things' and 'paying it forward,'" Austin said, noting what the foundation is all about.

"We want the fund to be about CREATING and BUILDING. It may take some time, but it will and can be fixed!!" she said.

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As one to take the perspective of positivity, Austin sees this act of vandalism as an opportunity to find the good in people. She said "it hurts that someone would do such a thing--it hurts a lot. BUT, whenever something bad happens, my family gets to see the very best in people, too. One, maybe two people vandalized that memorial---but an entire community has touched our hearts!!"

"I have pictures of him as a small toddler feeding a squirrel that had been trapped in our chimney, as well as others of him feeding small ducks that got 'lost' in our neighborhood. Dogs, cats, snakes…he 'rescued' any living creature that needed a little help. He once spent an entire week trying to train a turtle to find the RIGHT way to get to the pond. The creatures of this world are surely missing the little blonde boy that would always look out for them," his mother said on the memorial page.

Photo credit: Loralie Austin, used with permission