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Starbucks Customer Found Hidden Bathroom Camera Because There Was No Hot Water
By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 14, 2011
Modified Aug 14, 2011
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By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 14, 2011
Modified Aug 14, 2011
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Last week, a Connecticut man was charged with 12 counts of voyeurism after a camera was found in the men's bathroom of a Starbucks. The suspect, Paul Deveau, was identified by Starbucks employees as a frequent customer named Paul, but now the man who found the camera says the employees ignored his discovery.
Rafael Zeligzon, a plumber, had gone into the men's room at the Albany Avenue Starbucks to wash his hands on July 27. According to the Hartford Courant, "When he couldn't get any hot water, he decided to take matters into his own hands and adjust a valve or two." He said, "I reach down without looking and I feel something strange in my hand and I go, 'Hmmmm, what is it?' So then I look and I go, 'Uh oh. It's a camera with a little memory card.'" The camera, which was sound activated, was taped to a pipe with black duct tape, with the camera pointed at the toilet. Zeligzon, who was "fuming" and "outraged," says he told Starbucks employees he had something important to tell them, but they were too busy to deal with it.
Zeligzon decided against bringing it to the police, because he thought it was Starbucks' responsibility to report the incident. But he did bring the camera to his home and downloaded the photos, worrying he would appear. While Zeligzon isn't sure he's one of the men photographed, there are images of other men's buttocks, genitals and faces. The next day, Zeligzon brought the camera to the Starbucks, which then contacted the police. Here's Zeligzon explaining the long process in bringing this matter to light:
Starbucks says that its company policy is for employees to regularly sweep the bathrooms for cameras. For his good deeds, Zeligzon has yet to get a thank you or free coffee pass from Starbucks and the cops have seized his laptop and desktop computer, which he says are crucial for his plumbing business.
As for Deveau, he's now being represented by the lawyer who represented Michael Skakel and Alex Kelly. According to NBC Connecticut, "When police went to Deveau’s home, he pointed out four laptops, several CDs, three iPhones, two desktop computers and an external hard drive that he said would or could have illegal videos or images on them, the paperwork states. He also told police that one computer once had images or videos that could be considered child pornography, but he deleted them a while ago, the report states."
Tagged
connecticut
paul deveau
plumber
rafael zeligzon
spy camera
starbucks
voyeur
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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