LAWRENCEBURG, KY — Two Anderson County residents are facing charges after investigators tied them to a series of alleged attacks on Flock safety cameras in central Kentucky, according to the Lawrenceburg Police Department.
Police said the arrests came around 9 p.m. Sept. 22 during an investigation into criminal mischief involving several damaged cameras. Officers said four Flock cameras in Lawrenceburg had been destroyed or removed, and investigators soon learned that nearby agencies had reported similar problems.
Lawrenceburg police worked with neighboring departments as the case widened beyond one city. The investigation later led officers to a vehicle near Pumphouse Road, where two suspects were taken into custody without incident.
Witness account in Woodford County helped connect the incidents
The investigation picked up speed after a witness contacted Versailles police earlier on Sept. 22 with a detailed account from Kentucky 33 in Woodford County. The witness said a black truck pulling a trailer stopped along the road, and a woman got out and shot a Flock camera with a shotgun before the truck continued toward Lexington.
Versailles police passed that information to Lawrenceburg investigators, helping connect the damage in Lawrenceburg with incidents reported in other counties. Police said they also contacted the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and Versailles Police Department after noticing the pattern of destroyed or missing cameras.
That coordination allowed officers to track the suspected vehicle and bring the investigation to a quick arrest, police said.
Suspects identified as Anderson County man and woman with Powell County ties
Police identified the suspects as 44-year-old Jim Thacker of Anderson County and 18-year-old Jovanna Grobe, who is originally from Powell County and now lives in Anderson County.
Lawrenceburg police said both were arrested without incident after officers located the vehicle near Pumphouse Road. The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the arrest.
Investigators have not said what connection, if any, the pair had to the damaged cameras beyond the criminal mischief case. What police have confirmed is that the arrests stem from the same multi-county investigation into destroyed and stolen Flock devices.
Charges include criminal mischief, conspiracy and firearm-related offenses
Thacker was charged with first-degree criminal mischief, conspiracy to commit first-degree criminal mischief, and having an open alcoholic beverage container in a motor vehicle.
Grobe was charged with first-degree criminal mischief, complicity to first-degree criminal mischief, discharge of a firearm or other device across a public road, and failure to notify the Department of Transportation of an address change.
Police did not release information about court dates or whether either suspect had entered a plea. The charges indicate investigators believe the camera damage was intentional and coordinated, not an isolated act.
Police recovered shotguns and ammunition during the arrest
During the investigation, officers recovered two shotguns they believe were used in the incidents, along with numerous boxes of ammunition, according to police.
That recovery may help investigators piece together how the camera damage occurred and whether the same weapons were used at more than one location. Police have not said how many separate incidents they believe occurred overall, but they confirmed the case has spread across multiple jurisdictions.
Flock cameras are used by law enforcement agencies to help identify vehicles and track movements during investigations. In this case, officers said the devices themselves became the targets.
More charges could follow as other jurisdictions review the case
Lawrenceburg police said the investigation remains active and that additional charges could be filed as more information comes in from other agencies. Because similar incidents were reported outside Lawrenceburg, the case may continue to expand as detectives compare evidence across county lines.
For now, police are treating the arrests as part of a broader pattern of destruction and theft involving Flock cameras in central Kentucky. The coordination among Lawrenceburg, Versailles, Franklin County and Anderson County authorities was central to identifying the suspects and recovering evidence.
Officials have not said whether more cameras were damaged after the Sept. 22 arrests, but they emphasized that the inquiry is still open.
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