Video captures woman taking couple's American flag from their front yard in Pennsylvania
PHILADELPHIA -- A Pennsylvania couple was surprised by a passerby's choice to take the American flag from their front yard after Memorial Day.
The homeowners in Philadelphia's Olney section caught it all on camera and are now wondering why someone would take their flag.
"We have lived here over 25 years," said Donna Davis of the home she shares with her husband.
They often hang the American flag at a post next to their mailbox in their fenced-in yard.
"We put out our flag in recognition of Memorial Day," said Donna.
They say they never would have expected what happened Tuesday morning.
"I looked. My flag wasn't out there! And the gate was open and we never have the gate open," Donna said.
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Trying to solve the mystery of what happened to the flag, her husband Clarence watched a video from the home's doorbell camera.
"Lo and behold, someone did take the flag," Donna said.
The video shows a woman in a blue t-shirt and jeans unlatching the couple's gate, walking up to the flag, and taking it along with its pole.
She waved the flag and then put it over her shoulder as she walked out of view of the camera.
"At 6 a.m., somebody moseyed down the street, came in, pulled the flag up, and started waving it and walking up the street," said Clarence Davis.
The woman passed flags at other houses, taking only the flag at the Davis' house.
They don't know who the person is or why she'd take their flag.
"That's really kind of like, wow, why would you do that?" Clarence questioned.
He later decided to post the video on an app shared among residents.
"I had a full shot of her face, so I just posted it and all of these responses started coming in. Everybody was really concerned about it," he said.
The concern was not over the cost of the flag but for what it represents, especially around Memorial Day.
"I've got a large family, a lot of people served in the military, and I put it up for them," said Clarence.
"We live in the United States and I believe it's still the greatest country in the world," said Donna. "I am so proud to be here and that's why I put that flag up."
The couple plans to replace their flag. They also say they didn't get the police involved.
"I'm just hoping that whoever did it, they see the post and they feel ashamed of it," said Clarence.
