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Upstate New York town memorializes slain Montreal girl
The memorial uses the state adopt-a-highway program, with signs on a three-kilometre stretch that Cruz says will keep Melina Frattolin’s memory alive.
- Along Route 74 in Ticonderoga, New York, local resident Bridgette Cruz installed memorial signs honoring nine-year-old Melina Frattolin. The reflective yellow signs dedicated to "Friends of Melina Frattolin" span a three-kilometre stretch near the marsh where the child was found.
- Cruz spearheaded the initiative after Melina Frattolin's death in July 2025 rocked the close-knit community of about 5,000 people. She stated the tragedy moved her despite their separation by a border: "We're separated by a border, but she's a child. It doesn't matter."
- Through the Department of Transportation's highway adoption program, Cruz committed to routine litter maintenance on the road. Scott Cooke, a department spokesperson, confirmed the program is open to anyone for memorials, and local troopers joined her during the first spring cleanup.
- Luciano Frattolin, Melina's father, faces second-degree murder and concealment charges in nearby Elizabethtown. He pleaded not guilty, claiming his daughter was kidnapped, with trial proceedings expected to conclude in August.
- Ticonderoga town Board member Heath Towne noted that murder is exceedingly rare in the area. He expressed little surprise at the roadside memorial, citing the common practice of honoring loved ones with signs near public roads.
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The girl's father is currently being tried for murder not far from the memorial site.
·Montreal, Canada
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One year after the discovery of the body of a nine-year-old girl from Montreal near a swamp in northern New York State, Bridgette Cruz, a local resident, claims that new road signs perpetuate her memory.
·Montreal, Canada
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The Toronto Star+24 Reposted by 24 other sources
Upstate New York town memorializes slain Montreal girl
TICONDEROGA - A year after a nine-year-old girl from Montreal was found dead near a swamp in Upstate New York, local resident Bridgette Cruz says new road signs are keeping
·Toronto, Canada
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Total News Sources29
Leaning Left21Leaning Right0Center8Last UpdatedBias Distribution72% Left
Bias Distribution
- 72% of the sources lean Left
72% Left
L 72%
C 28%
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