COLUMBUS, Ohio — Prosecutors have filed charges against a man accused of vandalizing a Pride flag and stating homophobic remarks towards residents in a Weinland Park home earlier this week.
Trey Fetzer was charged with criminal mischief, criminal trespass, disorderly conduct and ethnic intimidation — all misdemeanor charges.
Surveillance video from the front porch of a home on Summit Street shows two men approaching the door on Feb. 8. One of them, later found to be Fetzer, pulled down his pants and urinated on a pride flag on display on the porch. The other man was taking a video of Fetzer with his phone.
Fetzer then made homophobic remarks and banged on the door of the house before running away.
Court records state that on Feb. 13, the victims called police after Fetzer and the other man returned to the home. Fetzer attempted to apologize for the incident, but the residents told him to contact the police department.
The victims and police received several tips that the suspect who urinated on the Pride flag was Fetzer.
Fetzer faces maximum jail time of 10 months, with five years’ probation, and a maximum fine of $2,500.
"We're working closely with the victims in this case. We want to make sure that they're brought in and they have a say on how this case goes. I firmly believe that they need to have a voice at the table,” said Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein.
This incident is now the seventh case of ethnic intimidation in Columbus since January of last year, according to the clerk’s office. Klein said it’s a growing problem that needs to stop by holding people accountable.
"We've seen rises of incidents of hate crimes against our friends in the Jewish community, our friends in the Muslim community, and friends in the LGBTQ community that we draw lines in the sand in the city attorney's office that we will not put up with this type of conduct,” Klein said.
Klein added this is not reflective of the type of people and city they want to be.
"We have your back, we're not gonna let this type of conduct go unnoticed or unanswered and accountability is really important,” Klein said.
Ben Johnson, a spokesperson at The Ohio State University, confirmed there is someone with the name Trey Fetzer in the school's online directory, but he would not comment on the case.
"Speaking generally, Ohio State does not tolerate discrimination, harassment or vandalism of any kind. Working together with city partners, we strive to create a safe and welcoming community on and off campus," Johnson said.
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