LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — You see them throughout the Las Vegas Valley — roadside memorials honoring someone who died near that very spot.
Some have been around for years, while others are newer. Some may even disappear over time.
One local woman says the memorial she made for her friend has been removed several times, and she's determined to find out why.
WATCH | She shared her story with me in hopes of finding answers:
Balloons, flowers and stuffed animals are left behind in open lots and on the side of roads — places for loved ones to come and remember the person they lost.
"Every holiday, you know, we'd come down and, you know, I'd either sit with it," Essences Bacon said.
Bacon says her friend was living on the streets in 2022 when they passed away from heart complications right near Dean Martin Drive and Warm Springs Road.
"The day that she passed, because I was, I was here when it happened," Bacon said.
To honor her friend, she made her a wooden cross and placed it up against the fence. For three years, she says it went untouched.
But this past New Year's Eve, she noticed something was off.
"We came here to watch the fireworks, and I realized, like I was like, you know, I'm gonna come sit up, sit by the cross, you know, and watch the fireworks, and I got here, and I was so mad," Bacon said.
The cross was gone. So she made another one and put it in the same spot.
"I put it there thinking it would last long, and literally the next day I came, and it was gone," Bacon said.
Bacon says she doesn't know where the memorials went or why they disappeared.
I looked into the history of this lot and who currently owns it.
A "For Sale" sign is visible from the street. I called the number and left a message, but haven't gotten a response yet.
I also reached out to NDOT to find out more about the rules and regulations for roadside memorials in the Las Vegas Valley. A spokesperson sent me this statement:
"While roadside memorials can bring comfort to loved ones, they can also create visual distractions for drivers, physical obstructions, items becoming windborne, conflicts with construction or maintenance activities, or drawing pedestrians to locations not designed for foot traffic. Removed items are typically stored at the nearest NDOT maintenance facility for approximately 30 calendar days to allow loved ones an opportunity to retrieve them."
The mystery of where the memorials went still remains, as Bacon hopes this new one will go unbothered.
"I don't know who or why they would take them. When I see the cross there, you know, holidays, you know, I come down and having a hard time, you know, she always made everything feel better, so when I'm having a hard time, I'll come down," Bacon said.
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