American flag given to family of firefighter killed on September 11 is returned four days after its theft with note that said: 'I am so sorry'

Melissa Brengel, sister of a firefighter who died in the south tower, said she found the flag when she awoke on July 4 with a note apologizing for nicking it

The flag was given to Brengel by the September 11th Families Association after it flew over the World Trade Center ruins

'The flag means so much to me and my family and we are so happy and grateful that it was returned,' she said

The American flag stolen from the family of a firefighter killed on September 11 has been returned with a note that says: 'I am so sorry. I had no idea.'

Melissa Brengel, the sister of Jonathan Ielpi, who died at the World Trade Center, said she found the flag outside her Long Island home when she awoke on Friday morning. It reappeared as mysteriously as it disappeared during the night four days earlier.

'The flag means so much to me and my family and we are so happy and grateful that it was returned and we are able to display it again, although this time it will be put in a proper case and displayed in the house,' Brengel posted on her Facebook page.



This American flag, which was given to the family of a firefighter who died on September 11, 2001, was returned on late Thursday or early Friday, four days after it was stolen

'I don't know who took it or why. I guess they had their reasons. I am just glad that their conscious got the best of them and they did the right thing by returning it,' she added.



Brengel said she rarely put the flag up outside the house, only at 'certain times of the year just to remember.' She says the September 11th Families Association gave her the flag after it flew over the World Trade Center ruins.

Ielpi, who was 29, phoned his father Lee on the day of the attack to tell him he was en route to the site. He did not make it out of the south tower.

Brengel said she rarely put the flag out to hang, only for special occasions at certain times of the year to remember

His father is also a firefighter and is a co-founder of Tribute WTC, which pays homage to the victims of the attack.

It is not the first time the insensitive handling of her brother's passing and his memory has caused heartache.

Last year Brengel was outraged after the cast member of a reality TV show was depicted in a photo shoot acting flippantly around her brother's memorial.

She was watching the Bravo reality TV show ‘Princesses: Long Island’ when she saw one of the cast members began to act imprudently around the statue of the firefighter who was her brother.

Firefighter Jonathan Ielpi was 29 when he died in the south tower of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 Melissa Brengel is Ielpi's sister. She was given the flag after it flew over the ruins of the World Trade Center

She later said she felt her blood boil: 'It may not be against the law to do it, but it is the most disrespectful and disgusting that I think you can do,' she said.