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LAKEVILLE, Minnesota (WCCO) -- A Lakeville family is at their wit's end as police investigate a repeat crime that they say feels personal, as this year's LGBTQ+ Pride Month comes to its conclusion. Family members say that their pride flag has been stolen from their lawn more than once.
"We're feeling targeted, we're feeling harassed. We don't know what they're going to do next," said Steve Rosenows.
Rosenows has been moving the flag higher and higher with each new attempt to keep the pride flag flying on his property. But he says the series of events feels pointed.
"It felt a little different, that it was more of an invasion of our property," he said.
Rosenow and his wife put up a pride flag months ago as a sign of solidarity. The flag has since been stolen five times. The second time it happened, they bought a security camera, which has since caught thieves taking the flag in snow and, more recently, summer storms.
Last Friday, security caught what appeared to be a group of teens hoist one person into the air to grab the flag and flagpole, which Rosenow had already deliberately mounted nearly 10 feet up in a tree.
"It was just different. There was just so many of them," Rosenows said. "We should be able to post a flag on our yard. It's our personal property."
And it's not just their house. Pride flags have been stolen from neighbors, as well. Rosenows filed a police report after last Friday but says, ultimately, he is resorting to more drastic measures.
"We greased the flag," he said. "I don't know if that will help or not."
Rosenows says the pride flag will fly at his house no matter what.
"If they keep stealing them, we're going to keep hanging them and buying them. We're not going to let this beat us down," he said. "This is our little bit of support, that's what we can do. And we're going to keep doing it."
Lakeville police say they've identified a group of teenagers from last week's video and are working on preparing potential charges.
A number of incidents have been reported involving pride flags being targeted in recent years. A number of flags were vandalized at the historic Stonewall Inn in New York City. And a Chicago Unitarian church said their flag was set on fire and destroyed.
