Two soldiers assigned to the U.S. Army’s elite Old Guard were arrested and charged with stealing pride flags from a home in Arlington, Virginia, and neighbors have rallied to support the targeted couple.
Beginning in September, a couple had their pride flags stolen at least five times from their home, which is just around the corner from the entrance to Joint Base Fort Myer-Henderson Hall.
Each of the thefts happened in the middle of the night, and each time, a Ring camera captured the crime. The couple posted the videos on social media.
Last week, police arrested 20-year-old Matthew Henshaw, a solider assigned to the Old Guard, and charged him with three counts of bias-motivated unlawful entry and three counts of petit larceny. Police also charged 23-year-old Joseph Digregorio with one count of petit larceny.
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After hearing about the arrests, neighbors decided to fly pride flags of their own.
“It’s terrible; it’s unfortunate,” said Ken Miller, one of the neighbors who put up a pride flag. “I tend to support the military, as well, but that’s just unfortunate.”
“I’m glad the police were able to capture the suspects,” he said.
In a statement, the Fort Myer-Henderson Hall said the two soldiers remain on active duty since the case is still under active investigation.
“We recognize the value of diversity and equality, and the actions of those involved do not represent the values and character of The Old Guard or our Army,” the statement said.
Court records initially said Digregorio failed to appear at a hearing Wednesday, but his attorney said it was due to a clerical error. That error was resolved Thursday, and the court removed the failure to appear warrant. A new hearing is set for April 4.
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