Rainbow American flag cut down from Longwood home

LONGWOOD, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Tattered fabric is all that's left of the rainbow American flag which used to fly on the front porch of a Longwood family's Sweetwater Oaks home.

“It was disappointing.  It was surprising, and at first, we were like 'Why would someone do this after it had been hanging for so long?'” said the Longwood mother who didn’t want her name released.

On Monday evening, her family returned home from the beach to find that vandals had slashed the flag, destroying it, stealing a symbol of their unwavering beliefs in what it stands for.

“I think that it is very indicative of our family values, love, acceptance openness, safety caring and just support of a larger community,” she said.

The family filed a report with the Seminole County Sheriff's Office, but officials there tell FOX 35 that, unfortunately, no surveillance cameras were able to catch the culprit, now the family just hopes someone is held responsible

For someone to come onto our property and to deface something that we find important was disheartening and a little be hateful,” she said

Meanwhile, the family's already received their new flag that came in the mail today

“It's the exact same flag, three-by-five, all the colors of the rainbow and if the rain lets up we'll hand it tonight and if not we'll hand it tomorrow,” she said.