A 15-year-old was arrested in connection to the theft of an Israeli flag from Clarkstown Town Hall on Thanksgiving.

Police say a witness informed dispatchers Thursday that an unknown male wearing dark clothing was spotted ripping the flag off the pole and then running toward Route 304.

An officer located the suspect east of Route 305 on Congers Road, according to authorities. They say he tried to remove his sweatshirt and conceal the flag when officers stopped to question him.

Clarkstown police say an investigation is ongoing and they are not ruling out the possibility of a hate crime.

Clarkstown officials have since replaced the stolen flag and obtained several extras in case a similar theft occurs in the future.