CHESTERTOWN — Police here have charged three out-of-state men in connection with last month’s thefts of rainbow Pride flags and related items, and referred four youths to the Department of Juvenile Services on similar charges, according to a news release.
The suspects are from the Lancaster County area of Pennsylvania, according to the Chestertown Police Department. Six of the seven are teenagers.
They were in Kent County for “recreational purposes” and staying overnight in area lodging, Chestertown Police Chief Ron Dixon told The Evening Enterprise in a telephone interview Thursday, July 18.
The CPD announced the arrests in a news release issued on Thursday.
The adult suspects were identified as Mahlon Luke Fisher, 20, of Newburg; Jason Duane Smucker, 19, of Lykens; and John Caleb Stoltzfus, 18, of Gratz.
Each is charged with multiple counts of theft; malicious destruction of property; contributing to the condition of a child; burglary, fourth-degree theft; and a hate crime — 40 counts in all, and all misdemeanors.
The juveniles, all males, are ages 16 and 17.
Police Chief Dixon said criminal summonses for Fisher, Smucker and Stoltzfus were issued Wednesday, July 17.
They were notified by telephone of the charges against them, and will come to the Kent County Courthouse in Chestertown to sign the documents, according to Dixon.
Preliminary hearings for the three have been set for Aug. 16 in the District Court for Kent County. At that time a judge will determine if the prosecution has enough evidence — also known as probable cause — to go to trial.
Dixon said the suspects have been cooperative with police.
The charges stem from thefts of nine Pride flags, six flag poles and one Pride banner from locations on High Street, Cannon Street, Greenwood Avenue, Water Street and Cross Street, including Emmanuel Episcopal Church. The thefts occurred between dusk on Saturday, June 15 and the early morning hours of Sunday, June 16.
All told, there were nine victims. The total loss was estimated to be $1,400, according to the CPD news release.
Doorbell cameras helped in the identification of suspects, while the tag reader at the Washington College crosswalk on Washington Avenue and eyewitnesses’ reports of a suspicious vehicle also aided in the investigation, Dixon told The Evening Enterprise.
According to charging documents, one of the adult suspects told police that he and his friends took the flags because “guys are going to be guys” and the juvenile suspects were only following the lead of the older suspects.
That same adult also is alleged to have told police that they [the suspects] “did not stand for what the flags meant.”
In a follow-up text message Friday, Chestertown’s police chief said the thefts were “more of a crime of opportunity” than directly related to June being celebrated as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month.
PFC Meera Srinivasan led the investigation, assisted by Cpl. Chris Schwink, PFC Eric Nunez and Chief Dixon.