Lancaster, PA – A Lancaster man accused of attempting to set fire to a historic Civil War monument in Penn Square will face trial in county court following a preliminary hearing held last month.
Magisterial District Judge John Bender ruled on July 25 that the case against 38-year-old Francisco D. Rodriguez, of East Chestnut Street, will proceed to the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas. Rodriguez faces multiple charges, including two counts each of arson of a historic resource, intentional desecration of a public monument, and public mutilation of a flag, as well as one count each of defiant trespass and disorderly conduct.
Rodriguez is accused of entering an enclosed area surrounding the 151-year-old Soldiers and Sailors Monument on July 19 and attempting to burn two American flags while placing plastic bags on the heads of statues within the memorial.
Surveillance footage from the Lancaster Safety Coalition and privately recorded videos captured Rodriguez crossing the four-foot fence into the monument area at around 2:45 p.m. Witnesses reported seeing him tampering with the statue and flags.
Lancaster City Police Sgt. T.J. Sinnott responded to the scene and testified that he observed Rodriguez “seemingly kickboxing nothing” before detaining him. Rodriguez admitted to police that he attempted to burn the flags and placed the plastic bags on the statues. Officers recovered two burned American flags and found Rodriguez in possession of a lighter.
The Soldiers and Sailors Monument, erected in 1874, honors Lancaster’s Civil War dead and has stood as a prominent symbol in the city’s downtown for over a century.
Rodriguez remains held at Lancaster County Prison on $10,000 bail.
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Key Points
- Francisco Rodriguez, 38, accused of attempting to burn historic Civil War monument in Lancaster
- Surveillance and witness testimony show Rodriguez entering the site and burning flags
- Case will proceed to Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas following July 25 ruling
