Holy Redeemer Independent Old Catholic Church in Crestline Village, is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the vandalism of its flagpole and torching of its attached pride flag.

On January 1, police responded to a call from a community member who had seen an object on fire near the church.

They arrived around 6:30 p.m. and found a burning pride flag in an alley behind the church alongside an empty bottle of whiskey, which is thought to have been used as an accelerant.

The church pastor, Reverend Anthony Capretta, called the event “a hate crime directed at the LGTBQA+ community and reminiscent of the Ku Klux Klan cross burnings” in a press release sent out Monday.

According to The Buckeye Flame, police found no additional evidence and no information that leads to suspects. Because of this, the case is closed.

But Capretta is still searching for a suspect and is offering $5,000 as a reward for identifying information.

Anyone having information regarding this crime is asked to contact the Crestline Police Department at 419-683-2222 or the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 216-522-1400.

This is a developing story.

Ari Collins is the Editor-in-Chief for Fusion. Contact her at [email protected].