Man stole LGBT flags, faces hate crimes charges, police say
Tyler Witt, 21, of Sayville, is led out of the Fith Precinct in Patchogue for arraignment in First District Court in Central Islip on Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018. Witt is charged with 6 counts of petit larceny as a hate crime after being charged with removing LGBT flags from the Sayville Congregational United Church of Christ in Sayville. Credit: James Carbone
A Sayville man repeatedly stole LGBT flags from a local church and was arrested Tuesday on hate crime charges, Suffolk police said.
Ronald Tyler Witt, 21, first stole an LGBT flag from the front of Sayville Congregational United Church of Christ on July 29, police said.
In the past several weeks, Witt returned to steal LGBT flags whenever the church replaced the ones he took on Sept. 23, Oct. 7, Oct. 15, Oct. 20 and Tuesday, police said.
Hate crimes detectives arrested Witt at his Erwin Street home Tuesday night after finding surveillance footage and talking to people in the community, police said.
Witt is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday at First District Court in Central Islip on six counts of petty larceny as hate crimes. Detectives declined to say whether the flags were recovered.
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