By admin 
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — A woman remains behind bars in Vance County with no bond after investigators located her nearly two hundred miles away using license plate reading cameras.
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Candice Deyoung, 44, of Wake Forest is charged with one count of felony abduction of children, after investigators say she took a child from Vance County earlier this week.
The Vance County Sheriff’s Office says their detectives located her vehicle in Charlotte by using Flock Safety cameras, which can read license plates and help identify cars.
Although not a part of the investigation involving Deyoung, Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone told CBS 17 that his office uses all sorts of technology, including Flock cameras.
“We’ve been using them, probably 10 years or whenever they first come out,” Stone said.
“We’ve got many. I don’t want to discuss the locations of them, for the simple fact is that criminals will start going around them and things of that nature.
“We’ve made murder cases with them. We have captured wanted people, people that were wanted all over the United States before they committed crimes again.”
It’s not just Nash County. Many local jurisdictions across the country and the Triangle have started using them, including the Raleigh Police Department.
In a statement, Raleigh police said, “Law enforcement uses this technology solely to support legitimate criminal investigations and public safety efforts. Its use is governed by applicable federal and state laws, department policies, and established legal processes. Officers do not use this technology for random surveillance or to monitor individuals engaged in lawful activities.
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“When this technology is used, it is intended to help identify suspects, locate evidence, investigate criminal activity, locate missing and endangered persons, and enhance public safety,” Raleigh police continued in their statement.
“The Raleigh Police Department is committed to using investigative technology responsibly, while balancing public safety with individual privacy rights. Any use of these tools is intended to be lawful, purposeful, and consistent with department policy and constitutional protections.”
Not everyone feels positively about license plate reading cameras. A group of Apex homeowners is pushing for them to be removed from their neighborhood, saying they’re unnecessary.
Regarding concerns towards the cameras, Stone said, “There’s a lot of public thought about it now, infringing on people’s rights and things of that nature, unless you’re doing criminal activity. We’re not looking at these cameras. We’re looking for murders. We’re looking for child traffickers. We’re looking for stolen cars.”
Flock spokesperson Paris Lewbel told CBS 17 that agencies who use the cameras own and control their data. Only authorized users can access the system, and each search requires a documented reason. Data is deleted automatically after 30 days, unless an agency changes the retention period with proper law and policy.
“More than 40 courts across the country have determined that fixed license plate readers do not violate the Fourth Amendment and cannot track of whole of individual’s movements,” Lewbel said. “In 2025, Flock supported more than 1 million criminal investigations and incidents, assisted an estimated 20% of solved cases in jurisdictions where its technology is deployed, and helped locate more than 10,000 missing persons.”
CBS 17’s Mary Smith is an Investigative Reporter focused on Digging Deeper and Getting Answers. If you have a story that needs investigating, send an email to [email protected].
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