Teen arrested in Evansville flock camera vandalism investigation

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - Evansville Police have made an arrest in an investigation into Flock camera vandalism.

Charles Hughes, 18, was booked into the Vanderburgh County Jail Monday morning. He’s charged with theft and criminal mischief.

As we reported in September, police were investigating more than a dozen cases of cameras being destroyed or stolen.

According to an affidavit, officers saw a man, later identified as Hughes, riding an e-scooter just before 5 a.m. Monday southbound on Governor Street at Columbia Street without a headlight and disregarding the stoplight at the intersection of Governor Street and Virginia Street.

Officials say Hughes was wearing a mask and had two bags.

Police say they had previously sent out department-wide emails regarding a man on a scooter who had been recently stealing/damaging Flock cameras.

When officers conducted a traffic stop, they saw a collapsible ladder on the scooter and a large solar panel.

While looking at the panel, officers could see a “Flock” sticker on the panel.

Hughes told police he had gotten the panel out of a dumpster somewhere on Governor Street.

When police searched Hughes, they found various hand tools.

At the EPD headquarters, officers identified the e-scooter as being consistent in appearance and style with the scooter used to damage Flock cameras back in September.

In Hughes’ backpack, they found multiple Flock camera components, including batteries, junction boxes, cameras and wires.

He also had dozens of hand tools, a radio transmitter, a battery-powered Sawzall and screw gun.

One of the Flock camera faceplates matched up perfectly with the retrieved pole from Diamond and Fulton Avenue.

The assigned cost for replacing one Flock camera is $4,800.

Hughes was transported and booked into the Vanderburgh County Jail on the following charges:

• Theft
• Criminal Mischief
• Disregarding a Traffic Signal

This is an ongoing investigation.