On July 9, 2015, a cell phone was discovered hidden in a women’s restroom at a local business in the 800 block of West Avenue K, Lancaster. The cell phone appeared to be in a positon to record patrons using the restroom. The Lancaster Sheriff’s Station was immediately notified of the incident. Lancaster deputies arrived at the business and recovered the cell phone from the restroom.
The cell phone was found by a mother and her child, while they were using the restroom. The child found the cell phone taped to the sink’s pipe lining.
On Thursday, July 16, 2015, Lancaster Sheriff Station detectives in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Fraud and Cyber Crimes Bureau, were able to retrieve a photo of a suspect from the recovered cell phone and were able to identify the suspect.
Later that day, Lancaster Station detectives arrested 38-year-old Antonio Serrano for Videoing in a Bathroom without Consent. He is a transient in the Lancaster area. During the investigation, the detectives also discovered the suspect was in possession of a government document with a false, additional cell phones, and Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards.
The suspect is being held in lieu of $20,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in Antelope Valley Superior Court on Monday, July 20, 2015.
A preliminary investigation revealed there might be numerous victims and additional locations in the Lancaster and Los Angeles areas, due to the fact that the suspect had additional cell phones and SIM cards in his possession at the time of the arrest. The suspect also told detectives he has been video-taping women and children using the restroom for couple months. Detectives confirmed this information, upon reviewing the videos recovered from the cell phones and SIM cards.
Lancaster Station detectives are asking for the public’s help in locating additional victims, who used this particular restroom from the time period of June 2015 through July 9th, 2015.
At this time no additional victims have been identified.
If you believe you are a victim and/or have information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Lancaster Station at (661) 948-8466. If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you may call “Crime Stoppers” by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), or texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org
