Three accused of stealing, vandalizing Flock cameras
Three men are accused of stealing and vandalizing Flock automated license-plate-reading cameras in and near Lisle.
Anthony Pareigis, 34, of the 4400 block of Cross Street, Downers Grove; Jacob Steichmann, 32, of the 300 block of Otis Avenue, Downers Grove; and Thomas Yano, 31, of the 6600 block of Howard Avenue, Indian Head Park, appeared in first-appearance court Monday morning in DuPage County Circuit Court.
They are each charged with felony theft of government property and criminal damage to government-supported property.
The charges are non-detainable, so they have been released pretrial.
Lisle police officers discovered that two Flock cameras in the village were vandalized and stolen. Three in unincorporated Lisle were stolen, according to a news release from the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office.
The release said police saw two men, dressed in black clothing, gloves and face masks, approach a Flock camera. One held a ladder while the other, later identified as Pareigis, was holding a drill.
One man fled. Police reported finding a car about 400 yards away, with windows partially rolled down. They say they saw five Flock cameras in the rear passenger area, along with a collapsible ladder, black latex gloves, a saw and power tools.
Pareigis was arrested at the scene. Yano and Steichmann were arrested several hours later in Downers Grove.
Each Flock camera is valued at about $2,800, according to the news release.
State’s Attorney Robert Berlin defended the use of Flock cameras.
“License plate readers are not ‘big brother’ surveillance tools,” Berlin said in the news release. “They are a critical tool used by law enforcement under strict statutory guidelines used to locate specific vehicles suspected of being involved in a crime. They also provide valuable information when time is of the essence, such as in missing persons reports or an AMBER alert. Any tampering with, or theft of an LPR is not only a serious crime, but it also impedes law enforcement and diminishes public safety.”
The three men are next due in court Aug. 24.