PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A memorial honoring five teenagers killed in a west Boca Raton car crash nearly 30 years ago — including former State Rep. Irv Slosberg's daugther, Dori — was removed "in error" by county crews.
WPTV has learned that crews removed the memorial along Palmetto Park Road on Aug. 18 after a complaint.
However, Palm Beach County released a statement to WPTV late Thursday afternoon, saying the memorial was removed "in error" and will be reinstalled at its original location.
The strip of land in west Boca Raton is sacred ground for the Slosberg family and others who come to remember the loved ones they lost in a horrific 1996 crash.
They don't understand why the memorial that stood for almost 30 years was ripped from the ground.
"I still wear her ring. I've been wearing it for the last 27 years. I named my daughter after her," said Emily Slosberg-King.
All Slosberg-King has left of her twin sister, Dori, are memories frozen in time, before a high-speed crash when they were 14 left Dori and four other friends dead. Emily was also severely injured.
"It's almost like being re-victimized," Slosberg-King said.
"Because this is where you would go?" WPTV journalist Stephanie Susskind asked Slosberg-King.
"This is the place I would go to talk to her. On birthdays, the anniversary. They basically desecrated the memorial," Slosberg-King replied.
Four crosses and a Jewish star to honor the teenagers stood in this spot until just days ago. It was seen as a constant reminder to drive safe and was also used for educational opportunities.
"We have an offender program where we come out here and tell the offenders the consequence of unsafe driving. We really want them to get a full picture of what can happen," Slosberg-King said.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office began investigating the missing memorial Wednesday.
County commissioner Marci Woodward represents the area and told WPTV that someone made a complaint about a different roadside memorial nearby, located at Boca Rio Road and Southwest 18th Street, which was in the county right of way, which is not allowed.
Woodward said county engineers surveyed the area and removed several roadside memorials, including the one honoring Dori and the other four teenagers.
In a statement to WPTV on Thursday, the county said "Palm Beach County Engineering and Public Works staff removed the memorials from four sites, including the memorial located on the south side of Palmetto Park Road," adding that "the memorial’s position was outside of Palm Beach County’s Right of Way, and the removal was in error."
The statement said the county has contacted the Slosberg family and the memorial will be reinstalled at its original location
"Palm Beach County offers its deepest sympathy to all families involved," the statement read.
"They took our pictures of my daughter and all the other children who were killed in this car crash," Irv Slosberg said. "They took it away."
Slosberg created Dori Saves Lives in his daughter's honor and championed road safety legislation. He's frustrated no one had the courtesy to give the families a heads up, and has never heard a complaint about the memorial since it was created.
"It sounds fishy. It doesn't sound right" Slosberg said.
They just want to honor Dori and the other teens they way they have for almost 30 years.
"It's not fair and it's not right and I want them to put it back exactly where it was," Slosberg-King said.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said the memorial is being stored at a county facility.
The Slosbergs said their memorial is on land owned by the Lake Worth Drainage District.
Woodward said this gives the county an opportunity to look at how they handle roadside memorials and address them in a more sensitive way to include communication with families.