Riverside County sheriff's deputies arrested Andrew Anderson, 18, after they say he cut down a Flock Safety license plate camera in Temecula and loaded it into a vehicle. Hoodline reported the arrest, which was published August 30, 2026. For background on how these readers work, see how plate readers work.
How did deputies find the car?
A citizen reported seeing a group load a cut-down camera into a vehicle and gave deputies the plate number. Deputies passed the information to the department's aviation unit, which located the car at a home in the 43000 block of Matera Court.
Deputies stopped the vehicle and detained the occupants without incident. They recovered the camera, which is slated to be returned to Flock Safety. Anderson was identified as the primary suspect, and the other occupants were released.
What is Anderson charged with?
He was booked on suspicion of felony vandalism and grand theft. According to court records, he has since been released from custody with a court date set for November 20. After booking, he was held at the Cois M. Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta.
Hoodline cites two California statutes:
- Vandalism is a wobbler. It can become a felony once property damage reaches $400 or more, with up to three years in state prison and fines up to $10,000, according to the Esfandi Law Group.
- Grand theft means taking property valued above $950. A felony charge carries up to three years in prison, according to Eisner Gorin LLP.
The Riverside County Sheriff's Office has said intentional damage, destruction or tampering with Flock cameras will lead to felony charges and arrest, and it is asking communities to report suspicious activity.
Is this part of a pattern in Riverside County?
Hoodline says this is the second camera-related arrest the county has made within a week. On August 24, deputies arrested Nathan Ceballos, 31, in Palm Desert. According to the sheriff's office, he allegedly attacked a Flock Safety contractor who was replacing a vandalized camera, slashed the utility vehicle's tires and threatened the worker with a knife.
What changes for drivers?
Hoodline reports that the sheriff's department runs 564 Flock automated license plate reader cameras across unincorporated desert communities and contract cities, as of August. The department says its plate readers are used for law enforcement purposes.
Flock Safety announced on August 13 that it is shortening its recommended default retention period for camera footage from 30 days to seven days nationwide. Hoodline does not say how that change applies to the Riverside County cameras. It also does not say whether the camera taken in Temecula will be replaced.
Check the camera map to see which readers are mapped near you. The next date in the article is Anderson's November 20 court date.