Unofficial 9/11 Memorial Vandalized

Capo Beach locals saw a disappointing site Tuesday when they came to host a Sept. 11 memorial at the iconic U.S. flag affixed to driftwood on Poche Beach.

Vandals had smashed a recently installed spotlight – which illuminates the flag at night – and kicked down the paver retaining wall around the base of the wood.

"It was all donated. They just put the light up a couple months ago," said Rick Vanderhaar, who was on the beach Tuesday morning.

The flag has been a fixture for years, after an anonymous person attached it to the partially submerged driftwood following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Others have replaced the flag over the years.

Over the past year, however, currents and erosion threatened to send the driftwood out to sea,

Police are investigating the incident, Vanderhaar said.