Police probe flag burning in La Habra
Memorial vandals sought
LA HABRA -- At the center of an angry public opinion storm, La Habra police on Tuesday said they are conducting a criminal investigation into weekend vandalism at a patriotic Sept. 11 memorial fence at Whittier Boulevard and Macy Street.
Police said as soon as the probe is completed they will take their evidence to the Orange County District Attorney to determine if a complaint will be issued.
Early after the vandalism, local residents near the memorial accused the Police Department of not taking adequate action when they first spotted people altering patriotic signs on the fence Saturday afternoon. The police reportedly determined at first that the sign alteration was more free expression than a case of vandalism, so they left the area.
 Jeff Collison, left, and Bill Irizarry of La Habra raise a flag at the corner of Whittier Boulevard and Macy Street in La Habra. (Staff Photo by Bernardo Alps) |
On Tuesday, La Habra police Chief Dennis Kies stood behind the department's handling of the case.
"We did not observe anybody tearing flags or burning flags,' he said. "The first call we got on this was at 3 p.m Saturday. There were these cups stuck in the fence that spelled out something like 'We Love The USA,' and a woman was rearranging them to read something like 'No War.' She was not burning or tearing up anything at that time.'
Since the woman was not destroying anything, officers left without making an arrest or writing a police report.
Kies said his officers were called to the scene again at 5 p.m. Saturday and again at 3 p.m. Sunday.
Officers found damage to the display on both occasions but found no one but Tracey Chandler , who maintains the patriotic fence, and her friends near the location.
"On vandalism, a misdemeanor offense, we can't arrest anyone unless it happens in front of us,' Kies said.
Chandler, who started maintaining the memorial soon after it was initiated by neighbors the night of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, believes the same people who were at the fence earlier in the day came back later that night and burned the flags.
Jeff Collison, owner of The RV Center in La Habra, w ho has allowed Chandler and other residents to fill his fence with patriotic symbols, said he and Chandler plan to go to the police station today to file charges.
Collison said he answered at least 50 calls from residents and members of the press Tuesday.
"But I'm going to go down there (to the police station), because this is an act of vandalism on my private property,' he said.
As Collison answered calls in his office across the street, residents some angry and some crying added new flags and patriotic posters to the fence.
David Bisset of Whittier, who has contributed to the memorial since the evening of Sept. 11, 2001, said he will continue to do so as another Whittier resident, Dusty Rhodes, came by with a pile of flags.
"I was in the military myself for seven years, so for someone to burn my flag, well that burns my butt,' said Rhodes.
Some residents were overcome by emotions as they walked up to the fence.
"I have been bringing family from out of town by the memorial, and I'm very mad and upset about this,' said Barbara Eastman of La Habra Heights as she cried and handed $20 to Bisset for a new flag.
Chandler, who began pinning new Sept. 11 tribute posters made by her two children to the fence Tuesday, is determined to rebuild the memorial.
"It will be done by the end of the week, bigger and better than it ever was,' she said.
Debbie Pfeiffer Trunnell can be reached at (562) 698-0955, Ext. 3028, or by e-mail at debbie.pfeiffer@sgvn.com .