San Jose man hid camera in coffee shop bathroom: police
Louie Juarez Jr., 35, is accused of installing a hidden camera inside the bathroom of a San Jose coffee shop to obtain explicit images of customers.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - A San Jose man was arrested on suspicion of planting a camera inside the bathroom of a coffee shop that recorded dozens of people using the facilities, according to authorities.
"These videos are extremely graphic and contain multiple juvenile victims, fully exposed," the department said in a statement.
The investigation began when San Jose police responded to a report on Jan. 31 of a camera being found inside the restroom of a coffee shop in the 600 block of Coleman Avenue.
The camera was hidden under the restroom sink facing the toilet, police said Wednesday.
The police department's Sexual Assault Investigations Unit found that there were 91 victims, ranging in age from four to 85 years old, seen on camera using the restroom. The footage obtained was recorded on Jan. 30 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
During the course of the investigation, detectives identified the suspect as 35-year-old Louie Juarez. He was arrested on Friday.
Officers also served a search warrant at his home where officials said they found 20 firearms, including an assault rifle, high-capacity magazines, and other microcameras.
"To hear somebody's looking at us... that's my privacy, my kids, you know. That's horrible," says Marta Gonzalez of San Jose.
Now the police want to know if there were other victims, on other days, in other places.
"That is a possibility and that's why we're asking the public if they have any other information or if they believe they used this bathroom at this coffee shop to contact detectives," says Officer Tanya Hernandez with San Jose Police.
Featured
Special criteria for California seniors renewing driver's license
California drivers aged 70 and older face special conditions when renewing or applying for a driver's license.
Starbucks released a statement calling this a "deeply disturbing incident." They added, "We cannot overstate the importance of providing a safe environment for our customers and partners..."
"And it makes you think about how prevalent that might be anywhere outside of even Starbucks," says Scott Picanco, a San Jose resident.
Customers say it makes them question if they should even use public restrooms and whether they could even identify a hidden camera if they saw one.
"I'm not going to be able to tell probably, right? 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," says Alli Rodriguez of San Jose.
Juarez was booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail for possession of child pornography, installment of a hidden surveillance camera with audio, and possession of an assault rifle.
Louie Juarez Jr., 35, is accused of installing a hidden camera inside the bathroom of a San Jose coffee shop to obtain explicit images of customers. After his arrest, officers recovered unregistered firearms and assault rifles.