In Iowa, a man burned an LGBT flag and received 15 years in prison

The court sentenced a man to 15 years in prison who stole the LGBT flag from the church and burned it near a strip club this summer in Ames, Iowa, writes Air force.

Фото: Depositphotos

Adolfo Martinez, 30, admitted to reporters that he stole a flag from hatred of gays.

He was convicted of a hate crime, as well as reckless handling of fire and recidivism. Given the last two articles, Martinez will spend 16 years in prison.

According to police, the incident occurred around midnight at the Dangerous Curves club, whose visitors complained about threats from a man. When law enforcement officers arrived at the establishment, a troublemaker had already been put out of the club door.

After that, Martinez went to the local United Church of Christ and took the flag from there. Then he returned to the club and set fire to the flag on the street, using flammable liquid.

He also threatened to set fire to a local bar.

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Immediately after the arrest, he pleaded guilty and spoke about the motives for his actions.

“It was an honor to do this. This is a blessing from the Lord. I just burned their pride,” he said in an interview with KCCI-TV that was used as evidence against him in court.

Pastor Eileen Gabby, openly declaring her homosexuality, says she agrees with the findings of the investigation.

“I have always believed that Ames is not as progressive as many people think. Many people here still hide their sexuality,” she said in an interview with the Des Moines Register.

“12 people I didn’t know, who had no connection to me or this parish, said that this man committed a crime that was motivated by intolerance and hatred,” Gabby said.

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Story County Attorney Jessica Reynolds said Martinez was the first person in the county to be found guilty of a hate crime.

“The reality is that there are people who commit crimes against other people because of their race, gender or sexual orientation,” she complained in an interview with the local Ames Tribune.

"When something like this happens, it's really important that we come together as a community and that there are very serious consequences for the people responsible for these acts," Reynolds said.

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