An 18-year-old was arrested for allegedly cutting down a Flock Safety camera in Temecula, California, and loading the device into a vehicle. The incident was reported by a witness who flagged down deputies on Tuesday night and provided the vehicle’s license plate number. Officers tracked the vehicle to Andrew Anderson’s residence, where he was arrested and booked on suspicion of grand theft and felony vandalism. Other individuals found with him were released. The damaged camera was recovered and is set to be returned to Flock.
Anderson’s arrest followed a separate incident involving another Riverside County resident, Nathan Ceballos, 31, who was accused of threatening a Flock Safety contractor replacing a previously vandalized automatic license plate reader. The contractor reported that Ceballos threatened him with a knife and subsequently slashed the tires of the contractor’s utility vehicle, damaging the replacement camera as well.
Ceballos was later apprehended by deputies without incident. A search of his home revealed evidence related to the alleged assault, additional vandalism of Flock cameras, and multiple sexually intrusive videos of teenage girls recorded in various locations. Investigators are working to identify the victims depicted in the videos. Ceballos was booked into the John Benoit Detention Center on charges including assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats, and multiple counts of felony vandalism, and he remains in custody.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office cautioned against tampering with Flock cameras, stating that such actions can lead to felony charges. They encourage community members to report any suspicious activity. Flock’s automatic license plate readers are designed to photograph license plates, convert them into text, and record the exact location, date, and time. The technology has faced scrutiny in Southern California, particularly after an audit in Ventura County revealed that Flock inadvertently shared data with out-of-state law enforcement agencies, including federal agents.