DISGRACED

Man Charged for Urination on Cancer Victim’s Memorial Fired From Family Business

Bryan Bellace was charged with urinating on a plaque honoring a 9-year-old boy who died from cancer.

The owner of an Atlantic City plumbing company fired his son for allegedly peeing on a memorial plaque dedicated to a boy who died from a cancerous brain tumor, the Press of Atlantic City reports. Bryan Bellace, 23, of Egg Harbor City, was charged Sunday with urinating on the plaque placed in Underhill Park to honor Christian Clopp, a 9-year-old boy from Mays Landing who died. Bryan’s father, Bruce Bellace, said he fired his son from Bruce Bellace Plumbing & Heating after a Snapchat video capturing the incident prompted a community backlash. The video reportedly shows Bryan Bellace, who was wearing a company T-shirt, placing a beer can near the memorial, then peeing on it. “I had to remove him from employment,” Bruce Bellace said. “We apologized to the family... I’m sorry for his actions. I’m not proud of him.” The father said he first heard about the incident Sunday morning from his wife, who had received several Facebook messages, noting that his son was “probably drunk.” “Ultimately, it’s my fault,” he added. “Maybe we didn’t teach him right.”