A family in California was shocked to discover a hidden camera pointing at their home disguised as a rock.
James Dimapasok unearthed the sinister device that had been carefully planted to blend in with its surroundings — just under a grassy tree on a median strip.
“It was a camera that was covered in clay that looked like a rock, so it was very precise,” Dimapasok tells KTLA. “It was on a power bank so it was a cordless camera.”
He tells the local TV station that he was “scared” and it left his wife upset. Dimapasok only found the hidden camera after being alerted by one of their neighbors in the Chino Hills neighborhood in San Bernardino County.
Dimapasok went to the police with his find but not before he downloaded the video from the device in the hope that it might reveal the culprit’s identity. The video revealed footage of a suspect wearing garden gloves and a motorbike helmet. It also recorded the person riding away on a kick scooter.
His Ring doorbell camera captured another angle but it was too far away to be able to make out the suspect’s face.
Why Was There a Camera There?
Dimapasok is at a loss to explain why someone might have placed a camera outside his residence.
“I don’t know,” he tells KTLA. “I really do not know.”
An obvious theory is that the crooks were casing their home — possibly watching in real-time to check when the family was home or not.
The incident has frightened local residents with one neighbor, Julissa Castillo, suggesting there could be an even worse theory behind the clandestine camera.
“This is a street where our junior high students walk,” she tells KTLA. “A lot of them do, particularly on that street. It almost concerns me that maybe they’re watching a particular child.”
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the case with neighbors said to be increasing the security of their homes.
“I have no money,” Dimapasok adds. “So whatever you’re doing, if it’s money or whatnot, I got nothing and I don’t know why you’re doing it. Just stop.”