A Palm Desert assault investigation took a disturbing turn after Riverside County Sheriff’s deputies searched the home of a man accused of attacking a worker who was replacing a city license plate reader camera.
Authorities identified the suspect as 31-year-old Nathan Ceballos. Investigators said he confronted a contractor working for Flock Safety, the company hired to replace an automatic license plate reader that had earlier been damaged in Palm Desert.
As deputies dug deeper, they said they recovered evidence connected to the alleged attack as well as additional vandalism involving Flock Safety cameras. The search also led investigators to multiple sexually intrusive videos of teenage girls, allegedly recorded in both public and private locations.
According to the worker, Ceballos approached him while he was servicing the camera, threatened to stab him, slashed all four tires on his utility vehicle and damaged the newly installed camera equipment.
Several hours later, deputies located Ceballos behind the wheel of his vehicle, conducted a traffic stop and arrested him without incident.
Investigators then carried out a search warrant at Ceballos’ home, where they said they uncovered evidence that went beyond the reported assault and vandalism case.
Ceballos was booked at the John Benoit Detention Center on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, making criminal threats and multiple felony vandalism counts. He remained in custody as of Tuesday.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation remains active as deputies work to identify the victims seen in the videos allegedly found on Ceballos’ computer.
ALSO READ: NC Doctor Accused of Shooting 2 Sisters in Interstate Road Rage Attack
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 by left-wing groups of sharing data with ICE to help track down illegal immigrants, although the company says it does not share customer data with any entity, federal or otherwise, without permission.
Cities in Texas, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan have severed ties with Flock, while departments in Georgia and Oklahoma continue to use it.
A spokeswoman for the Atlanta-based company didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley told The California Post this month that the company is slashing how long its cameras store data from 30 days to just seven — while forcing cops to justify every search — amid mounting criticism from privacy advocates and politicians.
Langley said the overhaul amounts to the toughest license-plate-reader policy in the country. About 90% of investigative searches on Flock’s system already occur within seven days, Langley said.
“I’ve realized communities need my help,” Langley said, explaining the company’s decision to move beyond simply giving police departments privacy tools and instead make some safeguards mandatory.
