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Mar 06, 2023

Sheriff's Office investigating theft, burning of west Omaha homeowner's pride flag

Here is the camera footage of a suspect lighting a rainbow flag on fire before

Here is the camera footage of a suspect lighting a rainbow flag on fire before fleeing.

A person was caught on doorbell camera stealing a pride flag off a west Omaha house in April. The homeowner got a new flag. Then last week, the doorbell cam captured a person, possibly the same one, setting the new flag on fire on its pole on the porch.

Now the Douglas County Sheriff's Office is trying to catch the perpetrator in real life. Sheriff Aaron Hanson said the arson, which occurred Thursday at a home near 148th Street and Laurel Avenue in the Saddlebrook neighborhood, is being investigated as a hate crime.

"As a community people can disagree about important societal issues," Hanson said. "But when you cross the line and damage or steal people's property, and especially when you put people at a heightened risk of death or bodily injury, you must be caught and brought to justice."

The Sheriff's Office sent out a news release Wednesday, including doorbell cam video clips, seeking information from the public about the crime. The Sheriff's Office asked people with information to call the DCSO tip line at 402-444-6000.

The theft occurred about 9:30 p.m. April 15, according to the Sheriff's Office. The video shows a person, with their face covered, jumping to grab the flag and pull it down from its pole, then running away.

The suspect, who kept their face covered, is believed to be male, wearing a dark plaid jacket and jeans.

Then at about 2 a.m. Thursday, a masked person walked up to the replacement flag and set it afire. The suspect appears to have applied an accelerant while lighting the flag. Part of the flag dropped in flames to the ground and the person ran away.

"The suspect had his face covered (and) may have burns on his hand(s) as a result of the fire," the Sheriff's Office said.

Hanson said the fire could have spread to the house, especially with an accelerant being used.

"What's very concerning about this, above and beyond the destruction of property and hate crime aspect, is the arson attempt," Hanson said. "This could have proved fatal for adults and children in that house, as well as people living in adjacent houses."

The person who lit the flag afire was wearing a light-colored jacket and light-colored pants, and had a similar build to the person who stole the flag in April.

"We believe it's likely the same culprit, or at minimum an organized group of people based on the physical description and the behavior," Hanson said.

He does not suspect the crime was staged.

"I find it hard to believe that anybody would risk setting their own house on fire," Hanson said.

Here's a doorbell camera video of the suspect stealing the flag from a west Omaha home.

[email protected], 402-444-1057, twitter.com/CHRISBURBACH

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Chris Burbach covers the Douglas County Board, Planning Board and other local government bodies, as well as local neighborhood issues. Follow him on Twitter @chrisburbach. Phone: 402-444-1057.

Here is the camera footage of a suspect lighting a rainbow flag on fire before fleeing.