Eagle stolen from 9/11 garden in Brentwood

A Brentwood neighborhood is lamenting the theft of a 2-foot statue of an American eagle that anchored a garden dedicated to victims of 9/11 and servicemen and women.

The eagle's owner, Sharon O'Connor, said she started the garden in front of her house, on Gibson Avenue, and purchased the gray concrete eagle shortly after Sept. 11, 2001, to honor the fallen to show support for American troops. It soon grew into a place where neighbors came to remember service members from the area, she said.

"This small little garden has turned into a small community," O'Connor said. "It's a teeny spot on the face of the earth but it means something for us."

Her neighbor, Kenia Ramirez, said, "People would admire it, leave flowers and flags and . . . say quick prayers," she said.

O'Connor, who said her son is an Army veteran injured while in Iraq, noticed Monday that the eagle was missing. She's hoping someone will return "the heart of our neighborhood." Suffolk police confirmed O'Connor filed a report about the statue.