Excavator stolen in protest of Virginia group’s Confederate flag memorial

Updated Nov 8, 2013
The excavator stolen from the Confederate flag memorial site near Chesterfield, Virginia.The excavator stolen from the Confederate flag memorial site near Chesterfield, Virginia.

Typically, construction equipment is stolen for its resale value. But in the case of this missing excavator, it appears that it was stolen for what it was being used for, according to a report from NBC 12.

The group Virginia Flaggers met considerable opposition when they announced plans to fly a large Confederate flag on private property near Interstate 95 in Chesterfield, Virginia. More than 24,000 people signed an online petition opposing the Confederate flag memorial site.

Despite the opposition, the group began clearing the property of trees so the flag could be seen from the highway. But before they could finish, the excavator they were using to clear trees from the site was stolen.

The machine is valued at $20,000, according to the Virginia Flaggers website. Based on tracks left at the site, a truck and trailer were used to steal the machine.

“This is not going to stop,” Virginia Flaggers member Grayson Jennings told the TV station. “We better not catch whoever is doing it. That is all I have to say.”