Vandals burn flags at Lakewood Veterans Memorial; city to raise new flags Monday

An American flag and a POW-MIA flag that were on display at a Lakewood park were burned by vandals on July 4, according to city officials.

A statement Sunday from a Lakewood official said the city has security camera footage showing the crime at the Veterans Memorial Plaza in Del Valle Park at Woodruff Avenue at Henrilee Street.

The footage, which the city said it is keeping confidential for now, shows a man burning the flags at around 11:50 p.m. on July 4, according to a statement sent Sunday afternoon.

Police said a woman “joins him during the process.”

“The memorial itself also sustained some minor damage in the form of burn marks to a flag pole and concrete walkway,” Lakewood Mayor Todd Rogers said. “The flags appear to have then been burned on top of a nearby yellow sawhorse barrier that asks people to treat the memorial with respect.”

The city of Lakewood and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department have launched an investigation and are asking residents and businesses to check video security cameras for suspicious activity during that period.

A detailed description of the suspects wasn’t immediately available. The footage showed the man had a bike with him, according to a statement from the city.

Veterans Memorial Plaza was built in 1964 and renovated in 2015 and includes a Korean War–era Douglas fighter jet mounted on top of a representation of an aircraft carrier.

“I know I speak on behalf of my City Council colleagues and all Lakewood residents in decrying this shameful act of vandalism that shows great disrespect to the men and women who have served our nation, including those honored at the memorial who gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect the freedoms that these cowardly vandals abused,” Rogers said.

The city won’t be deterred by the vandalism, he said.

A flag-raising ceremony for replacement flags is scheduled for noon on Monday, July 8 at the memorial.

Rogers encouraged the public to attend.

“We will show those misguided vandals how to respect our flag and how to honor those at our Veterans Memorial who have paid the ultimate sacrifice with their lives to protect the freedoms that we enjoy,” he said in a statement.

Anyone with information about the crime was asked to call the Lakewood Sheriff’s Station at 562-623-3500.

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