NJ Man Stole LGBTQ+ Flags, Tossed Them In Delaware River: Police

FRENCHTOWN, NJ - A Frenchtown man was charged Monday in the theft of multiple LGBTQ+ pride flags from the borough, authorities said.

Justin T. Settembrino, 30, was charged with one count of fourth-degree bias
intimidation, two counts of theft of moveable property and one count of criminal mischief, Hunterdon County Prosecutor Renée M. Robeson announced.

Settembrino was lodged in the Warren County jail after his arrest. His arrest stemmed from a tip to Frenchtown police from a concerned citizen reporting several LGBTQ+ pride flags recovered in the Delaware River.

An investigation later revealed surveillance video of Settembrino stealing the flags in question, Robeson said.

An earlier incident on Aug. 8 of several pride flags stolen or damaged around Frenchtown is still under investigation.

“Law enforcement, borough officials, and community members have rallied together to bring those responsible to justice,” the prosecutor’s office said. “The investigation into the August 8 th incident is ongoing.”

Anyone with relevant information is encouraged to contact the Frenchtown Police Department at (908) 996-4820 or the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office’s Criminal Investigations Unit at (908) 788-1129.

Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-321-0010, going online to
www.CrimeStoppersHunterdon.com, or through the free “P3 Tips” smartphone app. All tips are
anonymous and kept confidential.