Man Accused Of Placing Camera In Mall Bathroom
ST. CLOUD, Minn. (WCCO) -- A 24-year-old man is in jail after police say they found a video camera in a bathroom at a St. Cloud shopping mall.
On Monday, Joshua Lavalle was arrested at his home in Rice, located just north of St. Cloud. He now faces a felony charge and he remains in custody at the Stearns County jail.
Police won't say how long the camera had been recording or who found it.
"Honestly, my personal opinion is ... someone who is wrong in the head. I'm sure there were little kids in there. It's sick. It's wrong," said shopper Nicole Nelson.
Wrong and invasive, indeed, but on Nov. 25, Black Friday, St. Cloud Police say Lavalle put a camera in one of the Crossroads Mall's restrooms.
Police won't say how many victims there were or if they have identified or notified any of the victims. A representative of the mall said they have taken the necessary precautions to make sure the restrooms are safe.
For some holiday shoppers, however, the damage is already done.
"I'll still come here to shop, but I won't use the restrooms," said shopper Adrian Krzesowik.
Because the investigation is ongoing, police won't say where Lavalle allegedly placed the camera or what his intentions were.
A police representative said the reason they are not releasing any more details right now is because they believe other businesses outside of the mall may also be victims of Lavalle.
They were granted a search warrant to go inside of Lavalle's home and they are expected to release more information about the case in the coming days.
