Background: Video shows someone walking away after lighting a flag on fire (Ring/WXIX/YouTube). Inset: Thomas Niehaus (Butler County Sheriff”s Office).
An Ohio man is facing serious charges after allegedly setting fire to flags at residences in Cincinnati, with video evidence reportedly capturing him expressing satisfaction with the acts, including a remark, “I hope it burns your f— house down,” according to authorities.
Thomas Niehaus, aged 52, has been charged with seven counts of aggravated arson and three counts of arson, as announced by Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich earlier this year. In addition to these charges, Niehaus now faces a federal indictment comprising multiple counts related to these incidents.
Prosecutors allege that on July 30 of this year, Niehaus specifically targeted homes displaying Pride flags and other similar symbols, according to Pillich.
Authorities claim Niehaus traversed Cincinnati neighborhoods, including Clifton and Northside, seeking out targets. His alleged actions included setting fire to a “yard sign with a picture of a Ukrainian flag.”
Prosecutor Pillich expressed strong condemnation of these actions while announcing the indictment. “These arsons disturb and outrage me deeply,” she stated. “These were deliberate, hateful acts aimed at intimidating and silencing members of our community, not random vandalism.”
Pillich emphasized the importance of safety and inclusion, saying, “Everyone deserves to feel safe and recognized in their own neighborhoods. We will not stand for any form of hate, and we firmly support our LGBTQIA+ community members, ensuring they know they are valued and protected.”
In October, Niehaus was federally indicted.
The faces one count of malicious use of fire, according to local Fox affiliate WXIX. Home security videos allegedly captured the defendant setting the fires, yelling, and in some cases laughing, saying homophobic slurs and “I hope it burns your f— house down,” as well as, “you’re dead…kill them all.”
Niehaus allegedly used a tiki torch and tiki torch fuel to burn the flags while drunk and was “full of rage,” wanting to “send them a message by burning the flags,” according to court records. He is also said to have written a statement “admitting to setting the fires, claiming that after hearing from his ‘friend’ he felt he ‘absolutely had to do something.’
Authorities stressed how the smaller fires could have caused house fires, due to the proximity of the flags to the homes and the possibility of wind playing a role. Several of the victims were also elderly.
In August, when he was arraigned on multiple state charges, Niehaus had to be escorted from the courtroom after shouting, “Fighting for the children!” WXIX reported. He remains detained in the Butler County Jail on a federal hold.
