San Jose police arrest suspect after camera discovered in Starbucks restroom
San Jose police arrest suspect after camera discovered in Starbucks restroom
A San Jose community is reacting with shock and concern after police announced the arrest of a suspect accused of placing a hidden camera inside a local Starbucks restroom.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - A San Jose community is reacting with shock and concern after police announced the arrest of a suspect accused of placing a hidden camera inside a local Starbucks restroom.
Hidden Camera Discovered by Employee
The device was discovered on June 9 at approximately 9:30 a.m. by an employee at the Starbucks located at 181 East Santa Clara Street. The employee found the camera positioned directly under the restroom sink.
Detectives from the San Jose Police Department's Sexual Assaults Investigation Unit believe the camera was only affixed under the sink for approximately half an hour. However, the device was active long enough to record two unsuspecting patrons.
"It captured two victims, a middle-aged adult female victim, and then an older adult male victim," said Stacie Shih of the San Jose Police Department. "So if you believe you were a victim of this incident, please contact our detectives."
License Plate Reader Leads to Arrest
Using automated license plate reader cameras, investigators were able to identify and track down a suspect in the case.
Police arrested 38-year-old David Perales of San Jose on July 2. Perales was booked into the Santa Clara County Jail on a charge of invasion of privacy.
Because of the nature of the crime, investigators are looking into whether the suspect may have targeted other public locations.
"Anyone who has an ill intention of invading anyone’s privacy could target any business, any location," said Shih.
Starbucks and Customers React
Following the arrest, Starbucks released a statement on Thursday addressing the incident:
"This is a deeply disturbing incident, and we are grateful for the quick and thorough response from the San Jose Police Department. 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."
Police are asking anyone who believes they may have been a victim to contact department detectives.