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DUPAGE COUNTY, Ill. - Three Chicago-area men are facing felony charges after authorities say they stole and vandalized five automated license plate reader cameras in Lisle early Sunday morning.
Three charged in Flock camera thefts
Anthony Pareigis, 34, of Downers Grove, Jacob Steichmann, 32, of Downers Grove, and Thomas Yano, 31, of Indian Head Park, are each charged with two counts of theft of government property valued between $500 and $10,000, a Class 2 felony, and two counts of criminal damage to government-supported property, a Class 3 felony.
Anthony Pareigis, Jacob Steichmann and Thomas Yano
According to prosecutors, the charges are not detainable under Illinois' SAFE-T Act, and all three men were released from custody pending trial.
The backstory:
Authorities said officers discovered around 1 a.m. that two Flock automated license plate reader, or ALPR, cameras inside the Village of Lisle had been vandalized and stolen and that three more cameras in unincorporated Lisle had also been taken.
About 2:16 a.m., Lisle police officers reportedly saw two men dressed in black clothing, gloves and face masks approach another Flock camera. Police said one man was holding a ladder while the other, identified as Pareigis, had a drill.
Officers arrested Pareigis at the scene, while the second suspect ran away, authorities said.
During a search of the area, officers found a gray 2012 Subaru parked about 400 yards away. Prosecutors said officers could see about five Flock cameras in plain view on the rear passenger-side floorboard, along with a collapsible ladder, black latex gloves, a saw and several power tools.
Police later identified Steichmann and Yano as additional suspects, and at about 3:10 a.m., Downers Grove officers found the pair walking near Walnut Avenue and Curtiss Street, where they were taken into custody.
Officials said each Flock camera is valued at about $2,800.
What they're saying:
DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said license plate readers are "a critical tool" used by law enforcement under state guidelines to help locate vehicles connected to crimes and missing people.
"License plate readers are not "big brother" surveillance tools," Berlin said in a statement. "Any tampering with, or theft of an LPR is not only a serious crime, but it also impedes law enforcement and diminishes public safety."
Lisle Police Chief Michael Rodriguez added that Flock cameras "do not replace police officers nor monitor people's daily lives—they simply capture objective information that helps investigators solve crimes."
"Unfortunately, we have recently seen an increase in misinformation surrounding this technology. Public debate is healthy and important, but when misinformation replaces facts, it can create an environment where some individuals believe that damaging public safety infrastructure is justified," Rodriguez said. "Destroying or stealing public safety equipment is a felony. It jeopardizes criminal investigations, wastes taxpayer dollars, and ultimately harms the very community these systems are intended to protect."
What's next:
All three men are due back in court on Aug. 24.
The Source: The information in this story came from the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office and the Lisle Police Department.