FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 30, 2022
FRENCHTOWN MAN ARRESTED FOR STEALING PRIDE FLAGS
Hunterdon County Prosecutor Renée M. Robeson reported today that an investigation by the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office and the Frenchtown Borough Police Department has led to the arrest of one individual on August 29, 2022.
Justin T. Settembrino, 30, of Frenchtown, was charged with one count of fourth-degree bias intimidation, two counts of theft of moveable property, and one count of criminal mischief. Mr. Settembrino was lodged in the Warren County jail after his arrest.
On Sunday morning, August 28th, 2022, Frenchtown Borough Police were dispatched to a report of several LBTQ+ Pride flags recovered in the Delaware River by a concerned citizen. Further investigation resulted in the discovery of video surveillance from the previous night which captured the perpetrator stealing the flags in question. Mr. Settembrino was positively identified as the person in the surveillance video.
Earlier this month several Pride flags throughout the borough were found to be stolen or damaged on the morning of August 8th. Law enforcement, borough officials, and community members have rallied together to bring those responsible to justice. The investigation into the August 8th incident is ongoing.
Anyone with relevant information is encouraged to contact the Frenchtown Police Department at (908) 996-4820 or the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office’s Criminal Investigations Unit at (908) 788-1129. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-321-0010, going online to www.CrimeStoppersHunterdon.com, or through the free “P3 Tips” smartphone app. All tips are anonymous and kept confidential.
Despite having been charged, every defendant is presumed innocent until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.