WESTFIELD — Police apprehended three boys last week suspected of stealing a Progress Pride flag from the front porch of a home on South Maple Street, the same home that has been targeted by vandals and thieves on five occasions in recent years.
“An investigation is ongoing to determine if these three juveniles are responsible for the vandalism and larcenies” over the past year, said Police Capt. Steve Dickinson when he confirmed this week that three 15-year-olds, had been caught on Nov. 16 after the most recent incident.
He also said the three teens will face charges, yet to be determined, in Juvenile Court.
In the prior incidents, the last of which was reported in January, suspects were recorded on security cameras but couldn’t be identified. During each incident, including the most recent, the suspects were wearing dark hoodies and had their faces covered.
However, before last week’s incident, an Apple AirTag was attached to one of the flags, which allowed police officers to track it to an area on Maplewood Avenue, Dickinson said.
While the flag was not recovered, the attached tracking device did help officers determine the general direction in which the boys had fled.
The incident began at 8 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 16, when the owner of the South Maple Street home called to report they had recorded, on a security camera, several youths on the front porch stealing one flagpole and its attached flag, and damaging another flagpole that was flying a second flag, Dickinson said.
Moments later, a neighbor of the targeted home called police and told them he saw the youths immediately after they had taken the flag and tried to talk to them, but they ran into some nearby woods, Dickinson said.
When the first officer arrived, he spotted two boys running along South Maple Street toward Pleasant Street and gave chase, eventually catching up with one of them, Dickinson said, adding the officer suffered a minor knee injury during the chase.
Another officer, while searching for the boys, spotted another riding a bicycle who fit the description provided to responding officers. After another brief chase, he took the boy into custody, Dickinson said.
The two boys apprehended were taken to their respective homes. One of the boys an officer interviewed at his parents’ home identified the third teen involved.
Dickinson applauded the “rapid response” of the officers that led to the three being identified as suspects in the incident.
The Progress Pride flag is a symbol of LGBTQ+ rights and acceptance. It contains the rainbow pattern of the traditional pride flag, as well as symbols and colors representing transgender people, intersex people, people with HIV and AIDS, and racial minorities.
