According to reports, a man allegedly installed a hidden camera inside the restrooms of a California Starbucks. The camera was found underneath the sink by an employee facing the toilet at Starbucks on January 31.
Police described Louie Juarez Jr., 35, as a ‘violent predator’ who allegedly filmed over 90 victims in restrooms before he was arrested on Friday.
Juarez was arrested at his home, where police found other micro cameras, 20 firearms, including an assault rifle, an unregistered gun and high-capacity magazines.
Lydia Zapata, who said she used the restroom in the coffee shop last week, told ABC 7: ‘It’s horrible because we use the restroom quite a lot.’
Authorities do not know if Juarez posted the footage online or sent it to anyone else. They are also not sure if he has done this before at other public places.
‘That is a possibility and that’s why we’re asking the public if they have any other information or they believe they used the bathroom at this coffee shop to contact detectives,’ Officer Hernandez said.
Another horrified resident, Marta Gonzalez told KTVU: ‘To hear somebody’s looking at us…that’s my privacy, my kids, you know. That’s horrible.’
In response to the frightening discovery, Starbucks told DailyMail.com that it is a ‘deeply disturbing incident’.
‘We cannot overstate the importance of providing a safe environment for our customers and partners (employees),’ the coffee company added.
As part of their cooperation with law enforcement, Starbucks said that they were grateful to the police. This scary discovery has caused many customers to question whether it was a good idea to use a public restroom.
“And it makes you think about how prevalent that might be anywhere outside of even Starbucks,” Scott Picanco, a San Jose resident told abc 7.
Alli Rodriguez, another local resident said: ‘So now I’m just second guessing every restroom that’s out in public? It’s really gross. And that person should be ashamed of themselves.’
The charges against Juarez include possession of child pornography, installation of an audio-enhanced surveillance camera, and possession of an assault rifle.
Police are asking anyone who believes they may have been filmed to contact the San Jose Police Department.