Arrest is Made in Vandalism of Monument Honoring Medal of Honor Recipient Michael Murphy

By Chad Garland

Police arrested a 14-year-old boy and charged him with vandalism on Friday after a memorial to a slain Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient was found smashed to pieces at a Long Island lake.

New York state will pay to replace the stone, inscribed with the image of Lt. Michael P. Murphy and his Medal of Honor, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said earlier in the day. The new stone is expected be nearly impossible to shatter.

Suffolk County Police said Friday in a Facebook post that the minor had been arrested at 3 a.m. in his Ronkonkoma home and charged with second degree criminal mischief, following an investigation into the damage at a park named for the fallen SEAL in Lake Ronkonkoma, where Murphy once worked as a lifeguard.

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Source: Stars and Stripes 

Statement from Governor Andrew Cuomo 

"Lieutenant Michael Murphy served our nation with extraordinary courage, valor and dignity, and we are all indebted to him and his family for his sacrifice. He was a Smithtown native who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the military's highest decoration, for his actions in Afghanistan during Operation Red Wings on June 28, 2005, the first member of the Navy to be awarded the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War. This most-esteemed award memorializes and honors his leadership and service, and to desecrate this honor is beyond the pale. 

"I am appalled and disgusted by this apparent act of vandalism. The State of New York will fully fund the replacement of the plaque, and I hope this brings comfort to his family and community. The people of this state and this nation owe Lieutenant Murphy a debt of gratitude, and I personally thank him for his service." 

Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo