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San Diego, California – A Rancho Peñasquitos family says they were unknowingly watched for weeks inside their own home—by someone they thought had long been out of their lives.
Acacia Young says it started with an eerie suspicion. The blue light on the family’s indoor Ring cameras would flicker on at odd times. Installed to monitor a sleepwalking child, the cameras seemed to have developed a life of their own. But what felt like a minor tech glitch soon revealed something far more invasive: a voice speaking through the device’s speaker. Young says it was unmistakable. It was her fiancé’s ex-wife.
What followed, according to a restraining order request filed in San Diego County family court, was the discovery that Young and her fiancé, Antzy Villefranche, had allegedly been live-streamed inside their home for more than 700 hours. Logs showed that cameras had been accessed for up to 12 hours a day over two months, capturing everything from private conversations to moments of breastfeeding and partial nudity involving their children.
Villefranche and Young say they discovered connected devices—Fire Sticks, Echo products, and smart TVs—all labeled with the ex-wife’s name, none of which they own. According to court filings, footage included financial discussions, Social Security details, and protected health information, raising concerns not just of stalking, but of potential identity theft. The couple estimates that the ex-wife accessed over 44,000 minutes of live video.
The San Diego Police Department investigated and referred the case to the district attorney’s office last month. While the family has yet to file charges, detectives have recommended prosecution under eavesdropping, wiretapping, and stalking statutes. Authorities expect a judge to rule later this month on whether to make a temporary restraining order against the ex-wife permanent.
In a broader context, prosecutors say this case highlights a troubling trend: digital surveillance has become the new face of stalking. San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan says her office files approximately 90 stalking cases each year, many of which involve high-tech tools such as shared accounts, hidden cameras, or disguised listening devices.
And the legal system, she warns, hasn’t caught up. Under current California law, police must obtain a warrant to access recording or tracking devices—even with a victim’s consent. A new bill, AB 358, could change that, allowing law enforcement faster access in some instances. The bill is now under review in the state senate.
Cybersecurity experts echo the concerns. Jim Stickley, a digital privacy consultant, says the growing ecosystem of smart devices has outpaced users’ understanding of how interconnected and vulnerable their accounts can be. He urges consumers to regularly review their device settings and account permissions.
