RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KTLA) A memorial placed in Riverside, California to honor the 13 American service members who were killed in a suicide bombing at the Kabul airport as the U.S. exited Afghanistan late last month was found vandalized on Labor Day, police said Tuesday.
The memorial, which consisted of 13 American flags and one Marine Corps flag, had recently been put up on the fence above the Ivy Street overpass, above the 91 Freeway, in remembrance of the fallen troops, according to a post on the Riverside Police Department’s Facebook page.
Three Marines from Southern California – Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, 20, of Norco, Lance Cpl. Dylan Merola, 20, of Rancho Cucamonga, and Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22, of Indio – were among the American troops killed in the Aug. 26 attack.
Ten of the fallen service members, including Nikoui, Merola and Lopez, were based out of San Diego County’s Camp Pendleton.
Photos accompanying the Police Department’s post showed multiple flags at the memorial were ripped and torn. The pictures were originally posted on the Facebook group “What is Going on in Riverside County,” which police thanked “for bringing this crime to our attention.”
It was not immediately clear when the flags were damaged, but a citizen reported the vandalism to police sometime Monday, according to the post.
The damage was obviously intentional, police stated.
Two citizens helped remove the flags, which will be properly disposed of by a local Boy Scouts troop, according to police.
Investigators do not have any description of a possible suspect or suspects, and they are asking for the public’s help to find whoever is responsible for the vandalism.
Anyone with information is urged to call the department’s Property Crimes Unit at 951-353-7955.
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This is an example of the hate and dishonor of the disgraceful Democrats. These fools by into the traitorous socialist Democrat Party’s hateful demonic character political propaganda.
John 8:44
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
I ‘m not surprised at where this happened. That is the bedrock of liberalism and anti-America activities in this country. We can pretty well be sure that it was done by one of the brainwashed younger generation. The sad thing is that for several generations now they have been taught by those left wing liberal teachers, at all levels , that our way is bad. If things continue this way it won’t take many more generations for the United States of America to cease to exist. Being part of the so called “greatest generation” and serving my country for 26 years in our military, I find that all these actions by the liberal crowd is insulting to every citizen in our country. Makes me kind of glad to be so old that I hopefully won’t be around to see the downfall of our country.
BEING this is commiefornia, i was surprised that memorial, was even ALLOWED TO BE FLOWN in the first place… BUT YOU CAN BET, even if they do eventually find out who dunnit, NO ONE WILL BE punished.
Dishonorable Democrats and the Socialist Democrat Party never take responsibility or are held accountable for their own unlawful, destructive, dishonorable, immoral actions. Democrats always blame someone or something else for their own actions. Even if the Democrats are caught “red handed”.
the same kind of people spit on my uncle at the airport in san francisco coming home from south east asia while on a gurney
with massive body injuries and had to stay at walter reed for a year.
these people sicken me to my core.
god bless our service men and women present and past.
EVERYONE OF THOSE anti-war hacks, who spat all over our troops, coming back from nam, should have been INSTANTLY STRIPPED of their US citizenship, and EXILED TO Vietnam, or korea.. MAYBE if they had, the left wouldn’t have spread so far in this nation..
Whoever did this should lose their citizenship. Or made to take a knee in prison.
Actually, both knees.
The question is, Who did it?
Was it done by the byproduct of our high school or collegiate systems? They’re being taught anti-responsibility, anti freedoms and a total reliance on government, and a total disrespect of it and our Military Forces.
Was it done by any number of the unknown “undocumented migrants”, many of whom came into our Country for the freebies and benefits, but otherwise have a disdain for Our Laws and Mores and wish to continue living as if they never left their home country, or who were able to sneak in with the the faceless crowd for the express purpose of dissing and attacking Americans and the American Ways of Life? That crowd is not just eager minimum wage earners and MS13.
Or was it a thank-you from one or more “refugees” brought in purposefully by the DimDems, again, not all of whom were seeking refuge, but also wanted to attack us, and potentially eventually, kill us?
It’s not like we have any real suspects, is it?
You assume they even ARE american citizens…
Pretty sure we can rule out registered Republicans. So who would do this? A dirty dem (probably a kid) or an illegal. Also likely someone who lived nearby. Further, probably on bicycle(s) for quick get-away.
The disrespectful idiots who desecrated this memorial display should be found, tried and sentenced to a year in Afghanistan, under the Taliban. Perhaps, then, they would understand the service and sacrifice these thirteen people made.
I’d make that a PERMANENT Exile to afganistan!
These things are so evil. Their hate abounds. Breaks my heart.
As I frequently say, “Some people need to be dead.” I certainly hope that if any of the police who apprehend the “alleged perpetrator” ambulatory excrement are vets that they are extra careful that said miscreants don’t happen to fall down any conveniently located flights of stairs six or eight times.
If this had been a display of ‘pride’ flags or antifa flags and been damaged the same way the mainstream media would have had it as lead news for days, they would have been outraged, and they would have classified it as a hate crime. But, because it was damage to American flags put up in honor of fallen soldiers the mainstream media won’t even give it a ‘below the fold’ coverage.
This is what is wrong in this country right now. No respect for our country, our service people, and if someone doesn’t agree with a liberal point of view they are not allowed to voice their opinion.
Hell, had it been a flag say, for mexico, columbia etc, it would have been considered a hate crime..
Or one of those incomplete “rainbow” jobs– NO indigo. I thought those people were all supposed to be so artistic and sensitive. Gonna have to start looking for a straight interior decorator for help on that problem corner in the servants’ bathroom in the coach house.
True! those that desecrate or cannot shoe respect to our flag should go elsewhere. sse if they get away with it any other coubtry in the world. sick people if we didn’t raise that flag they would not have the freeoms that they abuse
Can SOMEONE explain to me how ANYONE who would desecrate the American Flag should have a right to VOTE?
That’s why i think, EVERYONE who has ever been in the street protesting and BURNING OUR FLAG, should be INSTANTLY and irrevocably STRIPPED OF THEIR US citizenship, and thus any right to ever vote..
PERIOD!
“The damage was obviously intentional, police stated.”
It is bad enough to have lost the servicemen, but when people within our own country trash a memorial in their honor, it is really sick. I hope whoever did it is put to work in a US flag factory for the rest of their lives.
Being we’ve seen a # of stories over the past 3+ years, of cretins, DESECRATING GRAVE SITES, often those of our military, and NOT ONCE HAVE WE EVER seen any news article about the PUNISHMENT, its no surprise the sicko’s think they can do this and get away with it..
In China?
Only if they were Black, Islamist terrorist, some flavor of Hispanic criminal invader or some form of sexual deviant or other.