A Georgia man accused of setting fire to surveillance cameras in Cobb County was identified using the same network of automated number-plate readers he allegedly targeted, police said.
Colby Williams, 25, from McDonough, was arrested on Thursday, September 3, after several Flock cameras were damaged in the East Cobb area. He faces four counts of criminal damage to property, four counts of arson, reckless conduct and interference with government property.
Flock cameras used to identify suspect
Investigators said the incidents began late on Tuesday, September 1, when a camera at East Cobb Park, off Roswell Road, was struck by a projectile and caught fire. The device was left badly melted, while a sticker reading “Deflock” was placed on the nearby pole.
Police allege that Williams then travelled about two miles to a Home Depot, where three further cameras were attacked. Two were set alight and a third was hit twice, leaving bullet holes in the equipment.
According to the arrest warrant, footage captured a grey 2013 Volkswagen linked to the attacks. Officers used licence-plate recognition data from the Flock system to trace the vehicle and identify Williams.
The sticker at East Cobb Park also carried a QR code linking to a website that maps automated number-plate reader cameras across the United States, according to investigators.
A witness at the Home Depot said she heard a loud pop before seeing flames coming from one of the cameras. She told local television station WSB-TV that she called 911 after fearing the fire could spread to a nearby tree.
Cobb County police said some of the damaged devices belonged to the county and its police department, while others were privately owned. Sergeant Eric Smith said detectives had followed up leads quickly and confirmed that the Flock network helped locate the suspect’s vehicle.
Williams was booked into Cobb County Jail on Thursday and, according to the arrest warrant information reported by Atlanta News First, did not yet have a bond set.
Police have not disclosed what type of projectile was used. They also have not confirmed whether Williams is connected to reports of damaged cameras in neighbouring Henry County or Marietta, where officers are working with Cobb County investigators.
