Traffic Officer Helps Nab Man Seen On Video Tearing Down Wayne Church's Pride Flag, Police Say

GOTCHA! The search for a man caught on video tearing down a pride flag at a Wayne church ended with an arrest after a keen-eyed traffic officer spotted his distinctive set of wheels going by, authorities said.

Dominick Theophanous
Photo Credit: *WAYNE PD*

Images from the scene.
Photo Credit: *WAYNE PD*

Video of the suspect and vehicle sought in bias incident at Wayne church.

Photo Credit: WAYNE PD

Jerry DeMarco

11/09/2021 6:00 p.m.

Police released video and other images of the vandal who struck at Grace United Presbyterian Church on Preakness Avenue shortly after 9:30 a.m. Oct 31.

Also shown was a black Audi A4 with tinted windows, silver spoked rims and a front license plate offset to the right side of the bumper.

Officer Corey Stevens was working a traffic detail on Wednesday when the Audi rolled past him, Daly said.

Stevens immediately gave Detective Jason Clemente the license plate number and, soon after, the suspect came to headquarters.

Here's the video:

Dominick Theophanous, 23, of Wayne “admitted that he pulled the flag down on the date and time and at the location of the reported incident,” Daly said.

The former Wayne Hills High School soccer player, who was graduated in 2016, was charged with criminal mischief and bias intimidation before being released pending a hearing under New Jersey’s 2017 bail reform law.

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