3 men charged with stealing, vandalizing automated license plate reading cameras in Lisle, Illinois

Three men were charged with allegedly stealing and vandalizing five Flock automated license plate reading cameras over the weekend, the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office announced on Monday. 

Anthony Pareigis, 34, and Jacob Steichmann, 32, both of Downers Grove, and Thomas Yano, 31, of Indian Head Park, were charged with two counts of criminal damage to government-supported property and theft of government property between $500 and $10,000.

All three men made their first appearance in court on Monday morning. The office said the men were released from custody pre-trial as the charges were not detainable under the Safe-T Act.

It is alleged that around 1 a.m. on Sunday, July 26, Lisle police officers found that two Flock cameras in Lisle were vandalized and stolen and another three near the village were stolen.

Prosecutors said that around 2:16 a.m., Lisle police officers allegedly saw two of the men, dressed in all-black clothing, gloves and face masks, approach a Flock camera—one was holding a ladder while the other suspect [Pareigis] was holding a drill. Pareigis was arrested while the second man fled on foot.

According to prosecutors, officers found a grey 2012 Subaru about 400 yards from the initial arrest, with its windows partially rolled down and five Flock cameras were in plain sight in the rear passenger-side floorboard along with a collapsible ladder, black latex gloves and various power tools in the back of the vehicle. Each Flock camera was said to be valued at around $2,800.

Officers identified Steichmann and Yano as additional suspects in the thefts following an investigation. Officers found the two men about an hour later by Downers Grove police walking at the intersection of Walnut Avenue and Curtiss Street and both were taken into custody.

All three men are due back in court on Aug. 24.