Teens accused of destroying Flock camera until battery exploded, igniting fire near homes: report

Three South Carolina teenagers were arrested after allegedly cutting down a Flock Safety camera pole and beating its battery pack with a hammer until it exploded and burst into flames, authorities said.

The attack unfolded during the early morning hours of Aug.

15 along Harmony Church Road in the Edgemoor area of Chester County, according to WBTV , citing the Chester County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators said the teens hacked down the pole before striking the equipment with a hammer, setting off the battery fire.

The sheriff’s office estimated the damage at more than $5,000, WBTV reported.

Blaze Fuller, Samuel Carlisle and James Ryerson, all 19, were arrested and charged with criminal conspiracy and malicious injury to personal property, according to jail records reviewed by Fox News Digital.

FLOCK SAFETY CAMERAS NEED CONSTITUTIONAL GUARDRAILS BEFORE FURTHER DEPLOYMENT, TENNESSEE MAYOR ARGUES Fuller was booked Aug.

18 and released the following day after posting $5,000 bond.

Carlisle and Ryerson were also booked Aug.

18 and released Aug.

19, records show.

The blaze left a nearby resident worried it could have turned into something far worse.

"My house is over here," Edgemoor resident David Cunupp told WBTV, pointing toward his property.

"Could’ve caught fire and burned if it wasn’t for the rain." Cunupp said he was not necessarily opposed to the cameras but questioned the role of a private company in running the surveillance technology.