American flags stolen from Orange City homes

ORANGE CITY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - A replacement flag now is displayed on a flagpole in the front yard of 74-year-old David Behrens’ Orange City home,  after the original American flag which he has been flying alongside a P.O.W. flag for seven years was stolen.  

“I noticed right away that is was missing,” Behrens said.  “They had to unwind it, roll it down, unclip it, they took the clips too.”  The 74-year-old Air Force veteran now has a lock on the flag pole, in hopes that it doesn’t happen again.  “It’s our country, we should be able to do what we want on our own yard, fly a flag or two nothing wrong with that.” 

A few blocks away a similar theft at another Orange City home.  “This was the second time that our flag got stolen, the first time was 3 weeks ago, and now the second time was yesterday,” said Manuel Matute.  He said the thieves actually had to climb over his fence and into his yard to get the American flag which was hanging from a slot on the front of his house.  “I hope they get these guys that are doing his stuff because it doesn’t make sense,” Matute said.

Volusia County deputies are now investigating the thefts, at this point they have no way of knowing if they’re connecting to the recent American flag thefts in DeLand.