[VIDEO] Glendora Police, Donnelly Call For Harsher Penalties For Peeping Toms

The Glendora Police Department held a press conference Friday morning urging the public in helping them find the 17 remaining unidentified victims caught on a hidden camera in a Glendora Starbucks in April.

Police say identifying as many victims as they can will help build a stronger case against William Velasco, the 25-year-old San Dimas man arrested for at . Police say the footage was taken April 14 and 15, until a Starbucks employee discovered the device and contacted police.

A search warrant at Velasco’s residence yielded video and photo files of women and children using the restroom, as well as several hidden cameras disguised as coat hooks and buttons for clothing.

Police say if anyone believes they have used the Starbuck restroom during April 14 to April 15, they are advised to call the police department at (626) 914-8250.

Although police said Velasco had no prior criminal history, he is also being investigated for Velasco is currently free on a $50,000 bail.

Considering the relative cheapness of such devices – Lt. Tim Staab said such cameras can be purchased online for as cheap as $40 – Glendora Police Chief Rob Castro, Assemblyman Tim Donnelly and Mayor Doug Tessitor addressed reporters, advising the public’s vigilance in and proposing new legislation cracking down on these types of privacy invasion crimes.

“Obviously this is an egregious case we’re taking very seriously,” said Castro. “We’re trying to bring public awareness to this because we don’t believe this is an isolated incident. These types of cases continue to go on.”

Assemblyman Tim Donnelly was on hand to promote new legislation that would make unlawful secret surveillance of people, regardless of age, a felony rather than a misdemeanor. He also proposed that anyone convicted of this crime should be added to a sex offender registry.

Under current California law, secretly taping adults in the state of partial or full undress is a misdemeanor. It is only if the victim is a minor that the suspect can be charged with a felony.  

Assembly member Norma Torres (D-Ontario) introduced AB 665 that would have increased the penalty for such crimes to a felony, but the bill’s felony provision was taken out. Instead, the penalty for 'peeping toms' is county jail time from six months to a year, and a fine from $1,000 to $2,000.

A slap on the wrist, as far as Donnelly is concerned.

“This is not just an invasion of privacy,” said Donnelly. “This is an assault on our human dignity. It is unconscionable that this is not a felony right now. We really need to keep our laws up to date with our technology.”

He said the fact that Velasco’s crimes had escalated from privacy invasion to stalking to residential burglary shows that these types of crimes call for increased penalties.

“This is a beginning of a pattern,” said Donnelly. “I think we were seeing a rapist in the making.”

Donnelly said he aims to write the bill for next year’s hearings.

Mayor Doug Tessitor said he supported the proposed legislation.

“We now have technology to turn perversion into a weapon of mass perversion,” said Tessitor. “We need to upgrade our laws and enforcement provisions appropriate to the magnitude of the crime.”