An 18-year-old has been arrested after a hidden “recording device” was discovered in a public restroom at Jersey City’s Newport Mall, officials announced Wednesday.
Andy Cardenas, of Jersey City, was arrested Tuesday in Secaucus and charged with invasion of privacy, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said in a news release.
According to Suarez, the investigation that led to the teen’s arrest began in early August, after a woman reported finding a “black device” in the family restroom on the first floor of JCPenney at Newport Mall.
The investigation, led by the prosecutor’s special victims unit, later identified Cardenas as a person of interest.
When authorities analyzed the recording device, they recovered multiple digital files “which contained images from several unidentified restrooms,” according to Suarez.
Detectives still haven’t determined how long the camera was being used nor the locations of the other restrooms seen in the files. Authorities are now seeking the public’s help in identifying their exact locations.
Footage found in the camera suggests the teen filmed approximately 35 women, including four minors, as well as “a male and woman in the restroom together engaging in sexual acts,” NJ.com reported, citing the criminal complaint.
Cardenas is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 22.
