Suffolk County, NY - April 12th, 2016 - Suffolk County Police have arrested a Centereach man for damaging 19 red light cameras throughout Suffolk County.
Between April 9 and April 10, Stephen Ruth cut wires and manipulated equipment on 18 red light cameras within the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Precincts.
Ruth also cut down a red light camera pole at County Road 83 and Old Town Road in Coram on January 18.
Preliminary estimates put the damage at a cost of a minimum of $25,000 with additional cost evaluation to be completed.
Major Case Unit detectives charged Ruth, 43, of Centereach, with two counts of Criminal Mischief 2nd Degree, a Class D Felony. Ruth was held overnight and scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court on April 12.
This is not the first time that Ruth has been arrested for tampering with Red Light Cameras - he was arrested last Summer for tampering with cameras in Ronkonkoma, NY.
A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.