LAPD Investigating Turkish Flags Hung at Two Armenian Schools as Hate Crime

SAN FERNANDO VALLEY (KTLA) — Police are investigating the appearance of Turkish flags at two Armenian private schools in the San Fernando Valley as a possible hate crime, officials said Tuesday.

The flags were hanging at the Holy Martyrs Ferrahian High School on 5300 White Oak Ave. in the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles and the AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School on 6844 Oakdale Ave. in the Canoga Park neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Photos showed three flags hanging on Ferrahian High School’s gates and a stairwell, early Tuesday morning.

Ferrahian school administrators said there was no threat to students, and classes continued as usual.

Because the suspect trespassed on school property, the incident is being investigated as a hate crime at Ferrahian High School school, officials said.

School administrators said they alerted the Los Angeles Police Department and officers were investigating at both campuses.

At the AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School, where 13 flags lined the school’s perimeter, the incident was being characterized as a “hate incident,” since the suspect did not trespass, the school said in a Facebook post.

As a precautionary measure, the AGBU school campus “will remain a closed campus until further notice,” officials said.

Surveillance footage showed a man in dark clothing approaching the Ferrahian campus at around 4 a.m. and hanging the flags.