Pleasanton Couple Says Their Progress Pride Flag Was Vandalized: Reports

PLEASANTON, CA — A Pleasanton couple says they are not pressing charges after a man tore down their Progress Pride flag in front of their home, Pleasanton Weekly reported.

Allen Larson and Heather Gioia heard a loud noise outside their home around 10:30 p.m. on June 11. When Larson went outside, a witness handed him his ripped flag and pointed to another man who was running down the street.

“He said the guy was walking away and he just ripped this thing off and just took off down the street,” Larson told Pleasanton Weekly. “I looked down the street and sure enough, I saw someone running away.”

The Pleasanton Police Department confirmed with Patch that the couple contacted the department but no formal report was filed. They were also unable to access security footage so the police department will not be investigating the matter, Teri Yan, a spokesperson for the city, told Patch.

"If a similar incident occurred and a formal report was made, a suspect could potentially be charged with vandalism," Yan said.

But depending on the intent of motive behind the crime, an additional charge violating a state penal code that prohibits the destruction of personal property, intimidation or interference of one exercising rights protected by the laws of California.

Larson told the newspaper that the suspect had pulled on the flag so hard that it broke the metal bracket base that held the flag pole.

“The idea that somebody would be offended by a symbol of inclusion and love is kind of baffling to me,” Larson told the newspaper. “It is a sad statement that somehow this flag was an offense to this individual.”

The couple have decided not to press charges against the man and told the Weekly that they will not be deterred from flying the flag again.

“We originally hung the flag to celebrate the people we love — friends, family, and chosen family who identify as LGBTQIA+,” Gioia told the newspaper. “It wasn’t meant to be a grand statement, just a visible way to say: we’re so happy to have you in our lives.”

Read more from Pleasanton Weekly: Pleasanton couple recounts night when their Progress Pride flag was vandalized

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated with the correct spelling of Teri Yan's name.