Police have found a suspect in the theft of a disposal box for retired flags but will not release the name until a warrant is issued.
Derry Police Lt. Eric Kester confirmed Monday that a warrant has been issued for the suspect, who allegedly took a disposal box – a former mailbox intended for the retirement of American flags.
The box was a joint effort of the Pinkerton Academy Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) and the Derry Post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and disappeared from the town Transfer Station on Dec. 3.
The issue came about when transfer station employees noticed a number of American flags being discarded. They contacted the VFW. The used metal postal box was located by Frank Hooley, father of Cadet Morgan Hooley, and it was refurbished by the ROTC cadets and set up at the Transfer Station with the help of Transfer Station Director Joan Cornetta.
Cadets planned to empty the box on a weekly basis, bringing any flags back to the VFW to be properly retired.
Kester said the container was recovered after police studied video surveillance tapes of the transfer station. The box was found in possession of a suspect and retrieved, he said.
Because the investigation is ongoing, Kester declined to release further details.
