An Omaha, Nebraska couple awoke in the middle of the night to find their neighbor from down the street stealing and lighting the pride flag they fly from their front porch on fire reports The New Civil Rights Movement. Ariann Anderson and Jess Meadows-Anderson woke up around midnight on Sunday after hearing noises outside their home, and both thought their home was being broken into. Jess ran downstairs to check on their two girls while Ariann ran to the window and saw the suspect, 23-year-old Cameron Mayfield who lives 10 houses down the street from the Andersons, flee with the smoldering remnants of their flag down the street.

Police later arrested and charged Mayfield with felony second-degree arson; a resisting arrest charge was added after Mayfield attempted to flee from police when authorities tried to question him at his home. Mayfield's father told media that his son recently lost his job, was denied unemployment benefits and was drinking at the time; Meadows-Anderson expressed some sympathy for Cameron.

Said Meadows-Anderson:

“You almost feel bad for a minute. He's a young man and he made a hate-filled, drunken mistake that will have a lasting effect on his life and his family.”

The suspect's father says Cameron will remain behind bars until after his arraignment but believes the incident wasn't motivated by hate. Meanwhile Jess and Ariann have bigger news to celebrate after a federal judge struck down the state's same-sex marriage ban, ruling it unconstitutional. The Andersons, who originally married in Iowa and plan to marry again in their home state once it becomes legal, have already replaced their burnt flag with a bigger, and much brighter, pride flag on their front porch.

You can watch the Anderson's interview with local news regarding the incident, AFTER THE JUMP…