Chilling discovery at home of California man accused of vandalizing Flock cameras

Riverside County Sheriff’s deputies uncovered shocking pieces of evidence while searching the home of a suspect accused of assaulting a worker replacing a license plate reader in Palm Desert.Investigators say Nathan Ceballos, 31, attacked a contractor hired by Flock Safety to replace an automatic license plate reader camera for the city of Palm Desert that had previously been vandalized.During the investigation, deputies located evidence of the attack and additional vandalism to Flock Safety cameras.They also found multiple sexually intrusive videos of teenage girls recorded in public and private spaces.The victim of the alleged assault told police that Ceballos approached him while he was working on the camera and threatened to stab him, slashing all four tires on his utility vehicle and damaging the new camera.Hours after the alleged attack, deputies spotted Ceballos driving his vehicle and pulled him over, taking him into custody without incident.Deputies then served a search warrant at Ceballos’ residence — where they say they found far more than evidence tied to the alleged assault.

Ceballos was booked into the John Benoit Detention Center on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats and multiple counts of felony vandalism.He remained jailed Tuesday.Deputies are continuing to investigate the alleged crimes and are working to identify the victims captured in the videos found on Ceballos’ computer.Flock’s automatic license plate readers are either mounted on police vehicles or affixed to poles or portable trailers.

They automatically photograph and convert license plate numbers to text, recording the exact location, date, and time.Police say the technology can help solve crimes and track down fugitives, but Flock has faced mounting controversy over the rapidly expanding surveillance system.The Los Angeles Police Department suspended its deal with the company in July amid a dispute over who controls the footage.Flock has been accused ...