BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio — A license plate reader alert led authorities to a vehicle connected to a wanted person late Monday night, ultimately ending with one person being taken into custody in Bellaire.
The incident began around 11:19 p.m. when a Flock automated license plate reader generated an alert for a black Toyota Echo near Marion and Howard streets in Bridgeport. The vehicle was reportedly associated with a person wanted out of Bellaire.
Ohio State Highway Patrol was notified following the initial alert.
A short time later, the vehicle reportedly triggered another Flock camera. Authorities then located the vehicle at the Circle K in Bellaire, with troopers responding to the location around 11:26 p.m.
Law enforcement was on scene at the Circle K by approximately 11:34 p.m.
By 11:51 p.m., one person had been taken into custody. Ohio State Highway Patrol later cleared the scene, with Bridgeport authorities retaining custody.
The specific identity of the person taken into custody and the nature of the warrant were not immediately available.
The incident comes as automated license plate reader systems continue to expand across the Ohio Valley. The technology automatically captures vehicle and license plate information and can generate alerts when a vehicle matches information entered into law enforcement databases.
At the same time, the growing use of Flock cameras has raised broader questions about privacy, data retention and how information collected by the systems is shared among law enforcement agencies.
River News has previously reported on the locations and use of Flock cameras throughout the Ohio Valley and will continue following their deployment and use by local agencies.
