Thieves steal large American flag in La Junta
An American flag was raised alongside Highway 50 in La Junta on the Fourth of July, but it was stolen over the weekend in La Junta.
Investigators say they have two persons of interest at this time. The suspected thieves attempted to steal a second American flag just a couple miles down the highway. That attempt was thwarted after a person spotted the thieves.
Drivers would see the flag right when they enter into the city limits, but Wayne Walter, the owner of both of the flags, found the flagpole empty when he went into town with his family early Saturday morning.
“We came around the corner, and there wasn’t a flag,” says Walter. “So upon further inspection, we went to the La Junta Livestock and saw that one down.”
When it was discovered that the flag was stolen, Walter says he felt sick to his stomach. He then went to social media to ask for help in finding the flag. More than 1,000 people shared his Facebook post.
The flag is 20′ x 30′ and weighs more than forty pounds.
In La Junta, people still have a lot of questions surrounding the missing flag.
“I am shocked that someone would take the time to pull down such a huge flag,” says Bobbie Raines, a La Junta resident. “They are just disrespectful of the flag.”
While others in town are angered by the whole situation.
“To be honest I hope the cops get them before anyone else does,” says Robert Lucero, another La Junta resident and military veteran. “It would be in their benefit to turn themselves in and turn the flags back.”
Walter says he isn’t certain why the flag was taken. However, he says the people who took it should be ashamed.
“They stole from the community, they stole from everybody.”
They hope to get the original flag back but if they cannot they hope to replace it as soon as they can. In a second Facebook post, Walter says he intends to install cameras at both of the flagpoles in the future.
