Case for two accused of destroying Flock cameras with shotguns sent to grand jury

LAWRENCEBURG, Ky. (WKYT) - An Anderson County grand jury will consider the charges against two people accused of destroying Flock cameras with a shotgun after a judge sent the cases forward following a preliminary hearing Thursday.

Jim Thacker, 44, and Jovanna Grobe, 18, are accused of shooting four automatic license plate reader cameras, known as Flock cameras, last month in Anderson, Woodford and Franklin counties. Thursday morning, inside the Anderson County courthouse, the father and stepdaughter heard evidence behind their arrest and charges for the first time.

Anderson County District Judge Donna Dutton found probable cause and moved both cases to the grand jury.

Officer testifies about investigation

Lawrenceburg Police Officer Aaron Lyons testified that a tip from the Versailles Police Department led investigators to Thacker and Grobe.

“Versailles PD called over and said their Flock camera had just been shot by a female with a shotgun in Versailles,” Lyons said.

Lyons testified that the vehicle involved in the Versailles Flock camera shooting was registered in Lawrenceburg. His department found the vehicle and conducted a felony traffic stop on Sept. 22, detaining both Thacker and Grobe.

Lyons said Grobe admitted to personally destroying three cameras and helping with a fourth, for a total of four cameras.

“She stated that she was a passenger when her stepfather, Jim Thacker, was driving when he stopped on the side of the road and she used a 20-gauge shotgun to shoot the camera twice,” Lyons said.

Lyons told the court that officers found two shotguns, a box of ammunition and a nearly empty bottle of Fireball inside Thacker’s vehicle.

Police estimate the damage to the Lawrenceburg Flock cameras at $6,000.

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• Two accused of destroying Flock cameras with shotguns in Lawrenceburg

Charges filed

Jim Thacker faces the following charges:

• Criminal mischief (first degree)
• Conspiracy to commit criminal mischief (first degree)
• Open alcoholic beverage container in a motor vehicle

Jovanna Grobe faces the following charges:

• Criminal mischief (first degree)
• Complicity to criminal mischief (first degree)
• Discharge of a firearm/other devices across a public road
• Failure to notify the Department of Transportation of an address change

In addition to the Anderson County charges, Grobe also faces a criminal mischief charge in Woodford County for allegedly destroying the Flock camera in Versailles. Franklin County has filed no charges against the two.