A 15-year-old has been charged in Espanola after security camera footage showed someone stealing the Pride flag in the community five times. Ontario Provincial Police were alerted to the thefts June 19 around 10 p.m. “OPP received a report regarding multiple incidents involving a Pride flag displayed at a residence in Espanola,” police said in a news release July 22. Taken on five different occasions “Police learned that the flag had been taken on five separate occasions. As part of the investigation, officers reviewed security camera footage, which identified the same individual removing the flag during each incident.” The teen was arrested July 7 and charged with mischief (destroys or damages property) and theft under $5,000. The youth will appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in Espanola at a later date. “The OPP takes hate/bias motivated investigations seriously,” police said. “The OPP will continue to work with community partners to provide supports to those who are victimized by hate/bias motivated incidents. If you have experienced or witnessed hate/bias-motivated incidents, report them by calling your local OPP detachment for assistance.”
