Man charged with burning grave site American flags

BENSALEM, Pa. (WPVI) -- A Bucks County man is under arrest this Veterans Day after allegedly burning grave site American flags.

29-year-old Anthony Davis Carter of Feasterville was arrested Tuesday and charged with institutional vandalism, arson, and related offenses.

Action News was there as he was being taken into custody. Carter denied he vandalized any gravesites.

Bensalem police say they have solid evidence the Feasterville man vandalized gravesites five times at two local cemeteries - Roosevelt Memorial Park on Old Lincoln Highway and Rosedale Memorial Park on Richlieu Road.

Photos show American flags, used to mark veteran's graves, were removed and set on fire and gravestones were burned.

"Why this knucklehead would decide to damage grave stones and marks and burn American flags, I have no idea," said Fred Harran, Bensalem Public Safety Director.

Police were able to collect DNA from the wooden handle on one of the small flags that was burned and left behind.

Then, in early September, an officer spotted Carter walking through one of the cemeteries late at night.

He agreed to give a DNA sample. The results came back this week - Carter's DNA matched the DNA on the flag and he was arrested appropriately on Veteran's Day.

"The fact that he was arrested on Veteran's Day was just by accident, and the fact that our DNA came back this week and we were able to put a case together is a good ending to this sad case," said Harran.