News

Actions

Zion’s Lights: Community Replaces 6-year-old’s Stolen Grave Ornament

Posted at 3:44 AM, Aug 30, 2013
and last updated 2013-08-30 03:45:59-04

zion’s lightsVERMONTVILLE, Mich. — Members of the community have stepped forward to replace a fire truck that was recently stolen from the grave of a 6-year-old boy.

Zion Maldonado of Lansing passed away earlier this month.  His family laid him to rest at Woodlawn Cemetery in Vermontville.  While waiting for a tombstone, they put a toy fire truck at his grave site.  It had solar-powered lights to comfort Zion, who had a fear of the dark.

When family came to visit his grave on Monday, they discovered Zion’s lights were gone.  The groundskeeper believes the truck was stolen.

Word of what happened quickly spread, and people came forward to make sure Zion didn’t have to spend his nights alone in the dark.  In a picture posted to FOX 17’s Facebook page on Thursday night, a relative shows that there are now five of those same fire trucks surrounding Zion’s grave site.

The caption on the picture reads:

Zion’s lights..thanks again to Michael Hickok and Dawn Hodges for one, Thanks to Jill from the jewelry department of Meijer’s in Grandville Mi, Thanks to the anonymous person who placed one at the grave with the big yellow plant, and Thanks to John and Sherry Cords for the last twos [sic]. Zion is lighting up and we are beyond thankful and happy.

The original grave marker has not been recovered.