CINCINNATI — The 52-year-old man accused of intentionally setting fire to pride flags in the Northside and Clifton neighborhoods has been indicted on more aggravated arson charges.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich announced Monday Thomas Niehaus has been indicted on seven counts of aggravated arson and three counts of arson in connection with the burning of nine flags or buntings.
Pillich's office said Niehaus targeted mostly pride flags. However, one yard sign with a picture of a Ukrainian flag was also set on fire.
The majority of these fires were started on July 30, the day the Cincinnati Fire Department released an image and video of Niehaus, asking the public to help identify him.
One video released by CFD showed a man walking up to a home before setting fire to a flag displayed outside. What was on the flag is unclear due to the black-and-white quality of the photo, though the man can be heard saying a homophobic slur as he walks away from the home.
"I hope it burns your f—king house down," he could also be heard saying before riding away on a bike.
Court documents say authorities were able to find Niehaus as a result of the security camera footage and "Red Bike information."
"These were not acts of random vandalism," Pillich said in a release. "They were targeted, hateful attempts to intimidate and silence members of our community. Everyone deserves to feel safe and seen in their own neighborhoods. We will not tolerate hate in any form, and we stand firmly with our LGBTQIA+ neighbors, so they know they are supported, valued and protected.”
We spoke with Northside residents after the fires, one of whom said he wished Niehaus would be charged with a hate crime.
In the release, Pillich's office also said that while Ohio has a law protecting people from ethnic intimidation, the law does not apply to sexual orientation or gender identity despite federal definitions that recognize these categories. Instead, it would enhance the penalty for some lower-level offenses, but it does not apply to aggravated arson.
