Tributes found, but clock ticks to mark special date Nearly three weeks after the theft of two memorial benches from the foot of Del Monte Avenue, Tony and Catherine Cappellucci’s say they are profoundly appreciative that the memorials have been located. But with the benches still unreturned because of an ongoing criminal investigation into the thefts, the couple has nagging questions and concerns that are denying them closure as to why the memorials were hauled away in the first place. It’s been a roller-coaster ride for them since July 8. That’s the date neighbors witnessed a crane dragging away the benches. One bench had been there since 2001 to honor George Story, a 30-year employee of the city of San Diego. The other was placed in remembrance of Anthony “Butch” Cappellucci, the couple’s son, who died two years ago from brain cancer. The benches were located July 20 and the list of people the Cappelluccis have to thank is lengthy. There is neighbor Mike Diamond, who took a picture of the tow-truck driver in the act of lifting the benches with a crane. There is Todd Ebbert of U.S. Concrete, the company that manufactured the Cappellucci bench and who offered to replace it at no charge after its disappearance. There is also an anonymous neighbor who offered a $10,000 reward during a KGTV-10 News segment to locate the benches. And then there is Michael Turko, the KUSI-TV personality who developed the lead that brought about the rediscovery. Finally, there are the San Diego police detectives who worked the case and District 2 City Councilman Kevin Faulconer, longtime friends and new friends who were touched by the story and who offered support. Still, the benches are temporarily impounded and the couple feels a sense of urgency as Aug. 24 approaches. That date would have been Butch’s 39th birthday. “I can’t sleep knowing Butchy’s bench is in a junkyard,” Catherine Cappellucci told The Peninsula Beacon. Early this week, the benches remained in the same City Heights yard where they had been deposited by George Gonzalez, the crane-service owner who was reportedly paid $300 to haul the benches off. Cappellucci said she’s not convinced the bench is in good shape and she said she is eager to have it examined by her husband, who is a contractor. It was carefully wheeled into place when installed, but it seems to have been dragged when the crane removed it, she said, possibly putting stress on the bolts attaching the arm rests to the body. San Diego Det. Dan Roman said a criminal investigation is ongoing and the benches are still needed as evidence. Once complete, however, the benches will be returned to their owners and the investigation will be handed over to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, he said. It’s already been decided that Gonzalez will not be charged, Roman said. The man who hired him, a 77-year-old Ocean Beach man with no criminal history, has been cooperative and apologetic, and is also not in custody. If the District Attorney’s Office files charges, the older man will be notified by mail and be booked and released in a few hours. Roman said he is not yet releasing the name of the man who hired Gonzalez to haul away the memorial benches. Cappellucci said the man who hired the crane lives a few blocks from the Cappelluccis and the couple encountered him once while walking to the benches. “It’s a two-minute walk from where we live,” Catherine Cappellucci said. “He had a truck for sale. At that time, he seemed like a normal person.” If he had complaints about people who use the bench, he could have addressed them with her, Cappellucci said. “It would have been a nice courtesy. He could have walked over, knocked on our door and said, ‘Can we talk about the bench?’” she said. “He’s talked about behavior from kids [allegedly using the bench as a gathering spot to smoke marijuana]. What about his behavior as an adult?” After Butch’s passing, Cappellucci said government staffers told her a memorial bench could be installed in Ocean Beach without permits and they even suggested a few sites. They eventually decided on Del Mar Avenue because Tony and Catherine used to watch their son surf there and erosion wasn’t an issue. They installed trash bins and cleaned the site every week, performing a “good neighborhood watch,” Cappellucci said. “Cleaning up after kids and unruly visitors seems to be part of it if you care enough about this community. It happens everywhere, not just … where the benches were.” For the most part, the benches were respected by the community, Cappellucci said, and even drew a group of eight retired nuns from Sacred Heart Church as regulars. “We’ve had many, many people say how beautiful the bench is and what a perfect place to have it,” she said. As for Gonzalez, Cappellucci said she preferred someone else handle the reinstallment of the benches when they are eventually returned. KUSI-TV’s Turko might recruit a volunteer to deliver them for free, she said. She questions Gonzalez’ claims in the media that nothing seemed suspicious about the request to remove the benches and asked, “Is it worth $300 to destroy your name?” She said she looks forward to the benches being returned for community use and to restore her son’s tribute. “Our son’s bench represented his spirit, not his tombstone,” Cappellucci said. “We could visualize Butchy as we looked over and saw surfers surfing and felt the sun or the moon upon our faces. We spent time there with him before he died so we felt … his spirit with us when we sat on his bench. What a nice feeling.”