 A woman donated her late veteran grandfather's flag to Covina Police, replacing the one stolen a few days prior. PHOTO/Aaron Castrejon. Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor COVINA - It might be smaller, but it has so much more meaning.
An unidentified woman donated an American flag Saturday to replace the one recently stolen from the Covina Police Department. The woman walked into the Covina Police lobby around 10:30 a.m.April 14 and offered her grandfather’s flag, said Sgt. David Rodriguez of Covina Police. “She heard that ours was stolen and she wanted to give us her flag. She insisted. She wanted us to have it,” Rodriguez said. The woman acquired the flag in 1973 after writing to the Speaker of the House that December, seeking to gift the flag, which flew over the U.S. capitol, to her grandfather for his 100th birthday, Rodriguez said. “It was tough to accept, hearing how much it meant to her,” Rodriguez said. Officers discovered the American flag affixed to the flagpole outside their own police department was taken during the night April 11. In addition to the stolen stars and stripes, the California flag had been removed, affixed upside down and left draped at the base of the pole, said Sgt. Dan Regan of the Covina Police Department. The flag was last seen between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, Regan said. Closed circuit television cameras are stationed outside the police department, but nothing conclusive was gathered. The woman wanted no recognition for her act and declined to take photos with Covina Police for social media. Rodriguez accepted the flag and within minutes of the woman’s arrival and offer, the flag was hoisted to its new location. The new flag is more of a standard size flown on smaller poles. The previous flag was much bigger, Rodriguez said. “It’s a smaller flag, but a larger meaning,” Rodriguez said. Anyone with information on a suspect is urged to call the Covina Police Department at 626-384-5808. |
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