COVINGTON, Ky. — Kenton County police say there are several persons of interest in a potential hate crime investigation, stemming from a July 13 incident in Latonia Lakes.
During the incident, two masked men burned a pride flag posted on a private residence on Club House Drive in the early morning hours.
The incident was captured on the property owner’s security camera and shows what appear to be two men wearing masks, setting the flag alight with lighter fluid as it hung off the property’s front porch.
When I went back there Wednesday to speak with neighbors, I found a singed, tethered flag tucked away on the porch beneath the homeowner's new Pride flag.
The issue has ignited much of the neighborhood, said Tristan Matthews, a longtime resident.
"If somebody judged me for what I am, I'd feel upset about it, a little bit angered," he said. "The neighborhood is getting tired of it."
The homeowner told us she only recently moved to the neighborhood and began flying the flag at the start of June. Since then, she said she's had her flag vandalized three times. She believes the same two men have damaged the flag each time.
Another neighbor, Sharon Baker, described herself as "outraged" when she heard what had happened.
"(This) time was the most horrific ... it wasn't just — it went beyond on vandalism," she said. ""[The flag] had been torn down a couple of times... I saw the people up there replacing the flag several times."
"This is a crime meant to inspire fear, and cause out of prejudice motivated by bias, fear for the whole community," Fairness Campaign Executive Director Chris Hartman said. "We're seeing dozens of anti LGBTQ+ hate crimes reported every year and that is likely a low estimate."
Hartman said the one incident plays into a broader issue affecting the country — but especially Kentucky and Ohio.
A 2024 national survey conducted by SafeHome.org — the 2024 LGBTQ+ State Safety Report Cards— ranks Ohio at 48 and Kentucky at 44 out of 50 for LGBTQ+ safety.
The survey took into account a multitude of factors:
- Combined numbers from the FBI's 2022 report on LGBTQ+ hate crimes
- A tally of the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation passed at the state level, tracked by the Human Rights Campaign
- The opinions of the 1,000 U.S. LGBTQ+ individuals surveyed
"I wish I could say that number was not on the rise," he said. "The only reason that we're being attacked at these historic levels is because we see historic levels of acceptance."
While support for LGBTQ+ equal rights is at an all-time high, per a recent report by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, attacks based on gender identity or sexual orientation rose nearly 47% in the U.S. in 2022, the FBI reported.
In Kentucky, 26.8% of hate crimes in 2022 targeted one's gender identity or sexual orientation while in Ohio, it made up 23% of total hate crimes.
"While this is a perilous moment for our community, I've never had more confidence or more faith that our community is stronger, bigger, bolder than it ever has been before," Hartman said. "Rest assured, law enforcement is going to do what they can to identify and to prosecute folks who commit bias motivated crimes."
Sgt. Aaron Schihl, public information officer for Kenton County police, said the latest movements in the case can be partly attributed to several news tips the department received last week.
Schihl said officers are mindful of the possibility this could be charged as a hate crime, depending on some circumstances.
"And that's something that's always considered during the investigation. Of course, we cannot confirm whether it was hate-crime driven until the investigation concludes," Schihl said.
Anyone with any information on the suspects or the incident, especially anyone with additional photo or video evidence, is encouraged to contact Detective Nick Paddon at (859)-392-1954.
