Self-described 'ISIS' member burns flag in Evansville, posts neo-Nazi symbols online

Houston Harwood, Evansville Courier & Press
·2 min read
2

EVANSVILLE — Police arrested a woman with an apparent history of posting conspiratorial screeds and neo-Nazi beliefs online after she allegedly burnt an Evansville business' American flag Sunday and claimed to be a member of the Islamic State, or ISIS.

Evansville police booked the woman, 43-year-old Sierra Justice Malloy, into the Vanderburgh County Jail just after 10:50 p.m. Sunday on five preliminary charges, including flag desecration, criminal mischief and trespassing.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Malloy − who has no prior criminal history in Vanderburgh County − told Evansville police she was a member of ISIS.

Her interaction with law enforcement began just after 9:45 p.m. Sunday when 911 calls began streaming in from a Spectrum cable store in the 1900 block of Old Business Road.

"The caller advised grass was on fire approximately six to ten feet from the building," EPD officer Ed Kitzinger's affidavit states. "The fire department was on scene already and the fire had been put out."

For Subscribers: Evansville police have used powerful facial recognition technology with little oversight

Police said Malloy had burnt an American flag she removed from the Spectrum store.

Officers quickly placed Malloy into handcuffs. She then allegedly threatened to decapitate the responding officers while hurling a flurry of slurs and homophobic insults at them.

"Sierra claimed to be ISIS and continued saying homophobic slurs to officers on scene," Kitzinger wrote. "Sierra claimed her ISIS handle was Lori D. Franklin."

Online account posted neo-Nazi screeds

A public Facebook account corresponding to Malloy's supposed pseudonym features a cacophony of conspiratorial content covering such topics as the COVID-19 vaccine, "#WhiteLivesMatter," and "justice" for those who participated in the January 6, 2020, U.S. Capitol riots.

The posts also feature hashtags commonly associated with the Q-anon movement, such as "#SaveTheChildren" and "#KidsForCash."

In at least one post, the Lori D. Franklin account shared an image of a Nazi-style swastika with the caption, "Be the light."

Malloy was initially booked into the Vanderburgh County jail on a 72-hour hold, as is standard. Malloy is scheduled to appear in Vanderburgh County Circuit Court Monday at 1 p.m. for a probable cause hearing.

Houston can be contacted at houston.harwood@courierpress.com

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Self-styled 'ISIS' member arrested after burning flag in Evansville