I-Team: Hidden cell phone at University Circle restaurant leads to voyeurism investigation

CLEVELAND (WJW) — Video released to the FOX 8 I-Team shows a woman telling police she found a hidden cell phone recording her in a restroom at a popular University Circle restaurant.

Now, that has sparked a growing investigation.

In fact, as police dig into the camera spying, they’ve also uncovered mystery surrounding the suspect.

University Circle police body camera video shows officers walking into Tacologist, a restaurant and bar in a trendy section of Euclid Avenue.

A woman approaches, saying, “You can see everything on the video, if you want to.”

She tells police someone secretly recorded her in a bathroom at the restaurant.

“I mean, I don’t actually get naked. I’m about to, but I don’t. You can see what happened,” she said.

University Circle police Lt. Steve Brady said, “Most disturbing is that somebody would actually have the audacity to put a phone in a ceiling to record somebody using the bathroom.”

The victim said she noticed a male worker come out of the ladies room as she went in there, and then she found the camera.

“I look up. I see a phone up there, facing down. And then I go grab it,” she said.

Police body camera video shows an officer confronting the suspect on the street, asking, “Do you work there?”

Police arrested the man for questioning about the camera in the bathroom, and the investigation took another turn.

Court records list an address for the suspect on East 120th Street. But police said that address does not exist. Police said the suspect also used a fake ID and fake Social Security information. So he’s been hit with a felony charge for forgery.

“He told us what his name was. Originally, he had lied,” Brady said. “And we got some documents that he had given to his employer. And we have since found out that possibly it might not be him either.

We went to the restaurant. An assistant manager told us the suspect had only worked there for two weeks. We were also told someone else would be contacting us for comment.

Investigators have started going through two phones looking for evidence. University Circle police want to hear from any other victims.

Police recommend always paying attention to your surroundings and anything that seems odd.

So far, the suspect has only been charged with forgery. But more charges for the recording in the bathroom are likely to be added when police take the case to a grand jury.

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