By Michael Swaney
Two soldiers stationed in Virginia were arrested on Friday for allegedly stealing flags numerous times from a home near their military installation.
Spc. Matthew Henshaw, 20, and Pfc. Joseph Digregorio, 23, are accused of stealing LGBTQ+ Pride flags from the same home just outside the gates of Fort Myer.
According to police, they were arrested after an investigation into the house being targeted with multiple thefts from September to January.
Footage from the first theft, which occurred during the middle of the night on September 16, was captured on the residents’ Ring camera.
The soldiers did not attempt to conceal their identities.
The couple who live in the home, Michelle Logan and her partner Jenna Burnett took to social media in January to ask for community help identifying the thieves.
“We know that, in Arlington, there are a lot of queer people and allies in the area,” Megan told Military.com in an interview. “But it’s still really hard to fit in when you’re queer, and this was a stark reminder for us.”
She said five flags were stolen since September but only three of the incidents were captured on her Ring security camera.
Henshaw was charged with three counts of “unlawful entry — bias motivated,” and Digregorio was charged with one count of petit larceny for one of the incidents that occurred in January.
Henshaw also faces three additional counts of petit larceny, which carries up to 12 months in prison and/or a $2,500 fine.
According to Fox5, Henshaw and Digregoriosoldiers are both assigned to the 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as The Old Guard.
It is the oldest active-duty infantry unit in the Army and is the Army’s official ceremonial unit.
Its duties include escorting the president, providing security for Washington, D.C., in times of national emergency or civil disturbance as well as conducting burials at Arlington National Cemetery.
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