Someone who got a closer look then alerted him to the vandalism. Junjulas said he noticed the flag from afar Thursday morning. They are asking anyone with information to contact police at 462-8039. Police said they believe that someone burned the flag sometime between 7 p.m. Police have stepped up patrols around the center, Junjulas said. He noted that the burning came just over a week after the Orlando Pulse nightclub massacre that killed 49 people. Junjulas, a married gay man living with AIDS himself, heads the center that serves about 400 people living with HIV and AIDS each year.
He said it appears that whoever burned the flag deliberately burned each color on the rainbow flag, also referred to as the gay pride flag. Junjulas on Thursday evening said the center couldn’t be silent about the incident. Schenectady also has a Damien Center under the umbrella of the Albany site. The center provides services to those affected by HIV/AIDS and their families. The center moved in temporarily after a 2013 building fire at its previous location. The Albany Damien Center is housed in the First Lutheran Church. Martinez must serve at least 15 years in prison and pay $1,525.50 in fines and court fees.The post quickly gained notice online, garnering more than 500 shares and more than 160 comments within four hours of posting. Sentencing was held on December 18, 2019. Hate crimes will not be tolerated in my jurisdiction and will be aggressively prosecuted.” Story County jury finds Adolfo Martinez GUILTY of a hate crime, Harassment, Reckless Use Of Fire and Habitual Offender. On November 6, it was announced by the Story county attorney’s office, “Historic jury verdict. WHOTV reported that an employee at nearly gentlemen’s club told them, “He was holding the flag in one hand and he was spraying it with lighter fluid at the same time in doing that he caught a patrons car tire on fire.”Īrrested was 30-year-old Adolfo Martinez and charged with 1st degree harassment and reckless use of fire or explosives, court records show. It seems that our affirmation of God’s love for LGBTQIA+ people was bothersome enough that in a time of crisis, that affirmation became the target of his anger.” However, the suspect specifically named our pride banner as a target, bypassing our much easier to reach pro-immigrant and pro-Muslim banner.
Later, another statement from the church read, “On speaking with the police commander, I can share with you that this act of violence against our church was part of a larger series of events. He was intercepted and arrested by the Ames Police Department.” According to a statement from the church, “a 30 year old man who lives one block from our church tore down the God is Still Speaking queer pride banner from the southwest corner of our sanctuary and tried to set it on fire. The incident took place Monday evening, Jat the Ames United Church of Christ, 217 6th street.
AMES – An Ames man found guilty of a hate crime after he tore a gay pride flag off the wall of a church and tried to burn it this past summer got a stiff prison sentence of 15 years, minimum.