SANTA FE, Texas — A Confederate flag in a Galveston County neighborhood has sparked a heated debate.
Rosie Yanas, 34, says she was wrongfully arrested for taking the flag down from a fence that borders her parents’ home.
Yanas says it’s been an ongoing issue that law enforcement has done nothing about.
"Since 2012, at least since 2012, this has been going on," she said.
Her elderly Hispanic parents live on East. Bellaire St. in Santa Fe. She feels their neighbor has intentionally placed the flag as a form of harassment.
“You’re going to tell me that I don’t have a right to do something," Yanas said. "No, I will not stand for that. I don’t care how many times I have to do it.”
Ronny Turrentine is the property owner’s brother.
"If anyone wants to fly any type of flag, they have the right to do that," Turrentine said.
Turrentine says Yanas has trespassed in the past.
“Main thing, she was taking down my brothers fence that we installed several years ago," he said. "The law was called, then she got upset and went over there took my brother’s flag down on the fence we installed.”
Both say Santa Fe Police have been called out several times. Most recently, they came after she took the flag down.
Yanas says she was wrongfully arrested for trespassing and resisting arrest.
She’s now working with civil rights lawyer Randall Kallinen and other community leaders in hopes for justice.
They’re calling for an internal investigation of Santa Fe Police Department, and for The Galveston District Attorney Office to drop the charges against her.
Yanas is the mother of Chris Stone, one of the students killed in the Santa Fe mass shooting.
She says the issue has taken an emotional toll of their family.
“I told him crying, I told him that I was tired of all of this," she said. "I don’t have time to deal with him, dealing with my parents and dealing with my own life."