Palm Desert man accused of attacking Flock camera contractor is out on bail; case now in DA’s hands

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) The Palm Desert man arrested in an attack on a Flock Safety contractor posted bail and was released from custody Wednesday, and the case was submitted to prosecutors Thursday for a decision on formal charges, the Riverside County Sheriff's Office confirmed to News Channel 3.

Nathan Daniel Ceballos, had been expected to appear in court Thursday afternoon at the Larson Justice Center in Indio. Earlier Thursday, the Riverside County District Attorney's Office told News Channel 3 it had not yet received the case and no filing decision had been made. The sheriff's office said Thursday afternoon the case was submitted to prosecutors that day. Jail records show Ceballos is now due back in court Oct. 9.

Ceballos has not been charged with a crime. News Channel 3 went to his Palm Desert home Thursday morning; no one answered the door.

As we first reported Tuesday, deputies from the Palm Desert Sheriff's Station were called to the 73000 block of Fred Waring Drive around 10:25 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24, for a report of an assault with a deadly weapon, according to the sheriff's office.

Investigators said the victim was a contractor hired by Flock Safety to replace an automated license plate reader camera for the city of Palm Desert that had previously been vandalized.

While the contractor was working on the camera, a man approached him, slashed all four tires on his utility vehicle, damaged the newly installed camera and threatened to stab him, the sheriff's office said.

Deputies identified Ceballos as the suspect and arrested him that evening during a traffic stop near Palm Desert Drive and San Marcos Avenue. Jail records show he was booked into the John J. Benoit Detention Center in Indio just after 10 p.m. on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats and multiple counts of felony vandalism.

He posted bail and was released the following day, according to the sheriff's office.

A search warrant served at his home in the 73000 block of San Nicholas Avenue turned up evidence tied to the assault and to additional vandalism of Flock Safety cameras, according to investigators. Deputies said they also found videos of teenage girls that investigators described as sexually intrusive, recorded in both public and private spaces, and are working to identify the people in those recordings.

Neighbors who spoke with News Channel 3 on Thursday were split. Some, who declined to appear on camera, said they were troubled by the allegations involving the videos. Others described Ceballos as friendly and part of a hardworking family that runs its own repair business.

The sheriff's office warned that intentionally damaging or tampering with Flock cameras can carry felony charges. The case comes as license plate reader technology faces growing scrutiny across the Coachella Valley, including questions about what happens when the system gets it wrong.

Anyone with information about the assault is asked to contact Deputy Jake Paull at the Palm Desert Sheriff's Station at (760) 836-1600. Anyone who believes they may have been recorded is urged to contact Investigator Katheryn Evans at the same number.

This story will be updated if the district attorney's office confirms receipt of the case or announces a filing decision.