Patriots in Parker County are upset because someone is setting fire to their American flags.
Patriots in Parker County are upset because someone is setting fire to their American flags.
"It's like losing a loved one," said Linda Gilbert, of Weatherford. "It's the worst thing that ever happened to me in my life."
It still brings tears to Gilbert's eyes: her American flag set on fire and left burning at the curb.
"We all have members of our families that have served and died fighting for this flag," said Gilbert. "And I can't understand why anyone would want to destroy it."
At least eight American flags left flying outside homes in Weatherford have been set on fire since Thursday night.
"What they're doing is they're disconnecting the flags from the poles, and they're taking them out to the curb and burning them," said Weatherford Fire Marshall Robert Hopkins.
But they didn't even bother doing that at Linda Freiley's home, where the American flag was set on fire as it remained tied to the flagpole in her front yard.
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"They just lowered it enough to where they could light it," said Freiley. "I cried. I cried. My husband was in the military for 30 years and fought for that flag."
Parker County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest.
"We take it very serious because arson of course is a very serious crime, and we don't want this to escalate," said Hopkins.
