Florida man charged with felonies after destroying a decoy traffic camera

Oviedo police arrested Evan Meyer shortly after midnight on Thursday, accusing him of using his father’s garden shears to cut a mounting pole and smash a decoy Flock Safety camera. The fake unit was part of a sting operation after multiple authentic cameras were reported missing from the Lockwood Blvd. corridor. An officer built the replica on a personal 3D printer and provided it to the department free of charge.

Meyer told officers he had been following negative online commentary about the camera maker and chose the device nearest his home to damage. The arrest report lists three felony counts: attempted larceny, criminal mischief involving property over $1,000, and a crime against computer equipment supplies. The case highlights ongoing local tension over the deployment of automated license-plate readers.