A “violent predator” in California allegedly filmed 91 unsuspecting people, some as young as 4 years old, with a hidden camera secretly hidden inside a Starbucks bathroom.
Louie Juarez Jr. is suspected of placing the camera underneath the bathroom sink at the coffee shop in San Jose, propping the device to face the toilet, on Jan. 31, according to San Jose Police.
The camera had been recording between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., where the victims whose ages range from 4 to 85 years old, were filmed in “extremely graphic” footage before an employee made the disturbing discovery.
Juarez Jr., 35, was arrested on March 15 after investigators suspected him of planting the recording device in the bathroom.
Police say they later found 20 firearms in his San Jose home, including an unregistered gun, high-capacity magazines, and an assault rifle.
Other “miscellaneous micro cameras” were also found at his home, police shared.
Officials called the 35-year-old suspect a “violent predator,” and requested anyone who believes they may have been captured on footage contact the department, according to ABC 7.
Juarez was charged with possession of child pornography, installment of a hidden surveillance camera with audio, possession of high-capacity magazines, possession of an assault rifle, and possession of an unregistered firearm.
He is currently being held at Santa Clara County Main Jail.
Police did not confirm if the footage was being sent to another location or if it was uploaded online, according to ABC 7 reported.
Following the arrest, Starbucks said it was “grateful for the quick and thorough response from the San Jose Police Department in apprehending the suspect” for his involvement in the “deeply disturbing incident,” the outlet reported.
“We cannot overstate the importance of providing a safe environment for our customers and partners (employees). We will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement on this matter.”
Alex Orozco, whose son attends Bellarmine College Preparatory near the Starbucks location, called the discovery “sickening.”
“It is a feeling of being violated and this is wrong. I’m glad they caught the person and I hope the hammer comes down hard on him,” Orozco told the outlet.
Dr. Thomas Plante, a psychology professor at Santa Clara University, told the outlet that modern technology can easily compromise and exploit privacy.
“They feel exposed and it gets worse when they start to think what’s going to happen with this tape. Or is this going to go online? Who is going to see this?” Plante explained.
“At some point, we do have to take a deep breath do the best we can and try to avoid the paranoia that might emerge after we have these types of stories and after we have these types of experiences.”
