Two soldiers arrested in Virginia on charges of stealing Pride flags from a queer couple’s home
Police arrested two suspects for their alleged involvement in a string of LGBTQ Pride flag thefts outside a LGBTQ couple’s Arlington, Virginia, home.
Two men have been arrested in the theft of LGBTQ Pride flags from outside a queer couple’s home in Arlington, Virginia, over several months.
Matthew Henshaw, 20, was arrested and charged in three of the five thefts that occurred from September to January; he was charged with three counts of bias-motivated unlawful entry and three counts of petit larceny, the Arlington County Police Department said in a statement Friday. Joseph Digregorio, 23, was charged with one count of petit larceny in connection with one of the thefts.
The men are both active members of the U.S. Army with the 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as the Old Guard, a spokesperson for the Army told NBC Washington.
“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.
Michelle Logan moved into the Arlington home of her girlfriend, Jenna Burnett, in July, and the couple decided to display a Pride flag outside the house. Two months later, on Sept. 16, the couple woke up to find the rainbow flag had been ripped from its pole. Footage from their Ring security camera showed a man approaching the home around 2:30 a.m. and stealing the flag, the women said.
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