Flock cameras have been making headlines across the country lately. And while many people are upset with the idea of their personal data being captured, stored, and shared by local law enforcement while they drive around town, there’s at least one story that owes its happy ending to these surveillance devices.
Georgia’s Senoia Police say they used the devices to locate a pickup truck that was involved in a missing child case in Florida. According to Fox 5 News, officers later pulled the truck over, pulling their guns out as Kayton Lee Elmer of Pasco County, Florida, was taken into custody.
Body camera footage showed the tense moments when the 35-year-old was handcuffed before officers were able to locate the missing 10-year-old, who is also Elmer’s son.
Senoia Police also shared that they found other children riding in the car during the traffic stop, and allege that the conditions inside the truck resulted in additional charges for Elmer and his girlfriend Aja-Linn Eddy, who was also in the truck at the time.
The Traffic Stop Happened on State Road 16
Traffic was whizzing by in videos of the traffic stop shared by Fox 5 News, as two Florida residents were taken into custody by Georgia police. The whole incident started as a custody issue, and he was expressly prohibited from leaving the state with his son.
However, Elmer allegedly drove across state lines with the boy, prompting the child’s mother to report her son as missing. A Flock camera later alerted officers to the location of the F-250 pickup truck, allowing them to pull the vehicle over.
There Were Multiple Unrestrained Children in the Truck
As if violating the terms of the custody agreement wasn’t enough, WSB-TV 2 reports that there were actually four kids in the truck when they searched it, as well as three pets. None of the children were wearing seatbelts, and one of Eddy’s children—whom the outlet notes has Down syndrome — was actually lying on the floor of the front seat under another child’s feet.
All four children were then taken into state custody with the Coweta County Department of Family and Children Services until relatives could be found for the three other children, and Coweta County Animal Control took in the two dogs and one cat. The missing 10-year-old boy was later identified by his mother, Kelsie Bell.
Both Elmer and Eddy Now Face Charges
Senoia Police Capt. Jason Ercole shared a statement with Fox 5 News about the incident, including the charges now facing the couple. “From what I understand, they were charged with reckless conduct for placing the children in the vehicle with not enough seatbelts, the one child lying on the floorboard during transport,” Ercole explained. “Uh, and I believe also they were charged with interference with custody here in Georgia. I do believe they are facing other charges in Florida.”
The outlet says that while they haven’t released an exact timeline, the duo is expected to be extradited to Florida, where they will find out about the rest of their charges.