Alaska News

Alleged Capitol flag thieves turn themselves in, Juneau police say

Two of the three men who allegedly cut down and stole the flags adorning the Alaska Capitol in Juneau turned themselves in Tuesday, police said.

The men were captured on security cameras breaking into a Capitol construction area around 1 a.m. Saturday, the Juneau Empire reported Monday. Legislative security staff said the men then climbed scaffolding and stole the U.S. and Alaska flags that sit on the roof of the building, which is being renovated.

Two of the men turned themselves in Tuesday afternoon, admitted their role and named the third suspect, Juneau Police Lt. Kris Sell said in a text message Tuesday night.

Sell didn't identify the two men and wouldn't provide additional details. She said the department would issue a press release Wednesday morning.

The security camera captured the men walking down the street, breaking through a chain-link fence around the construction and later leaving at the same spot. Juneau police are investigating vandalism and theft in the incident, spokeswoman Erann Kalwara said earlier Tuesday.

Juneau Assemblyman Jesse Kiehl, who works as a legislative aide for Sen. Dennis Egan, a Juneau Democrat, shared photographs and information about the theft on a Juneau community Facebook page Monday afternoon.

Egan said in a phone interview late Tuesday that he'd been upset to hear about the purloined flags.

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"I hate what happened," he said. "Stuff like that makes me mad."

After learning of the incident, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski's office decided to send a U.S. flag to Gov. Bill Walker as a replacement, Murkowski spokesman Matthew Felling said Tuesday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Nathaniel Herz

Anchorage-based independent journalist Nathaniel Herz has been a reporter in Alaska for nearly a decade, with stints at the Anchorage Daily News and Alaska Public Media. Read his newsletter, Northern Journal, at natherz.substack.com

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