Police: Handyman Arrested For Allegedly Placing Camera In Customer's Bathroom
PARAMUS, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Paramus police have arrested a handyman for allegedly placing a hidden camera in a customer's bathroom and said he didn't just do it in their town.
They are asking local residents if they remember hiring him before, CBS2's Alice Gainer reported Wednesday.
It looks like a regular charger, but if you look closely, "It's got the pinhole camera right there. It's motion-activated audio and video recording," Det. Mark Pinajian said.
When pried open, "There's an SD card slot there," Pinajian said.
Paramus police said a woman found the device in her bathroom.
"Noticed it plugged into the outlet, knowing her home and that it didn't belong to her," Pinajian said.
When she opened it and watched what was on the card, "Saw clips on there, especially of her bathroom and herself," Pinajian said.
And it didn't just happen to her.
"There was another location on that camera," Pinajian said.
That location was another bathroom in Wayne. That alleged incident was also caught on the camera the handyman was hired by the woman to fix a window. Police arrested 47-year-old Romeo Sanchez of West New York, a married father.
Police said he admitted to doing it and planned to retrieve the device when he returned to finish his work. They said there's no evidence he distributed the video to anyone and added there were no kids in either home.
"As far as we can see, he's not a licensed contractor. He's just like a handyman to do small odds and ends jobs and he was being referred to other people. That's how he was getting business," Pinajian said.
More people have called police now concerned that they, too, may have been a victim.
"If you have somebody in your home, a stranger, somebody you can't necessarily trust, after they leave, check all your outlets, all your crevices of your house, especially your bathroom and bedrooms," Pinajian said.
Sanchez was charged with invasion of privacy and could face up to a year in jail and a fine.
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