Wisconsin flag theft caught on camera at Elkhorn Area Middle School

The Elkhorn Area School District is asking the public if they recognize a pair of suspects using a longboard-style skateboard - caught on video.

District officials say the pair stole a Wisconsin flag from the local middle school and damaged the flagpole in the process.

One suspect apparently knew there were surveillance cameras because he hooded his face with t-shirt.

The now-missing flag was brand new and had put up on the previous Friday.

"Our custodian was bothered by it because he does take pride in making sure that the flag looks the way it's supposed to," Bryan Frost, principal of Elkhorn Area Middle School, said.

District officials fast-forwarded through days of footage to find the moment it happened: Sunday at 10:30 p.m.

One suspect quickly uses a knife while his t-shirt is pulled over his head.

"One of the individuals, running up, cutting the rope, the flag falls, and he's able to grab that flag and run off," Frost said.

"What was left of the rope that was cut was still lying on the ground," Frost said.

Now the school is planning to tie the ropes higher and closer to the poles. For the time being, however, the Wisconsin flag won't fly at the school.

"It would be great to have the flag returned. The bigger piece is going to be to repair the damage to the rope. Because to run it up to the pulleys is going to take more equipment than the school has," Frost said.

The district may need to rent a cherry-picker or bucket-style-truck to make complete repairs.