Tulare County Sheriff's Office looking for unpatriotic vandals who burned flags
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A South Valley community is outraged after surveillance video shows two people burning the state and American flags.
It happened Sunday morning on the campus of Accelerated Charter High School in Tulare.
Principal Wendi Powell said she realized something was wrong when she pulled up to work Monday and noticed both flags lowered and burned.
"I feel like it was a disrespect not only to my school but to our nation and our state," Powell said.
Neighbor Dora Salazar keeps the red, white and blue flying high in her front yard. She was shocked when she saw the video of the suspects lighting both flags on fire.
"It's a lack of respect," Salazar told Action News. "I don't like it. I respect the flag and our country."
While burning a flag is not illegal, the Tulare County Sheriff's Office (TCSO) says the suspects can still face misdemeanor charges, and they are hoping the surveillance video will help find them.
"There's a lot of video of them walking back and forth standing around looking at their clothes," said Ashley Ritchie, spokesperson for TCSO. "Maybe just take a good look at that and see if something looks familiar to you and definitely let us know because every lead is worth checking out."
If you recognize the men in the video, you are asked to call the Tulare County Sheriff's Office at 559-733-6218.
The flags were taken to the Tulare Memorial Building and handed over to veterans to be appropriately retired, leaving one South Valley flag pole missing old glory on Flag Day.
