November 10, 1999 10:46pm
Men's Room Spy Cam at McDonlads
Source: Newswire
(NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA) -- Did somebody say invasion of privacy? McDonald's company officials are checking restrooms at Southern California restaurants after a customer found a video camera inside a men's restroom, police said.
A patron of a McDonald's in North Hollywood discovered the camera inside a 12-inch-by-12-inch air conditioning vent Nov. 4, the Los Angeles Police Department said. Police have not publicly discussed the contents of the video.
"All the equipment used is at the scientific investigation lab for fingerprinting," Sgt. Richard Wheeler told APBnews.com.
"[Fingerprints] would be our key piece of evidence. Absent any other witnesses or anything, it would be pretty difficult to find a suspect," he said.
'A lone video camera'
The serial numbers on the video equipment were ground out, but they might not have been of much help anyway, Wheeler said.
The equipment did not seem very advanced, he said. "It's my understanding that it was basically a lone video camera set up in a vent."
In California, the use of a video camera to invade a person's privacy is a misdemeanor.
Checking other restaurants
McDonald's corporate offices in Southern California referred calls to a public relations firm, which said the franchisee who runs the North Hollywood restaurant has no comment because police are investigating.
Police said McDonald's officials were checking restaurants throughout the "region" for hidden cameras. A spokesman for the franchisee did not disclose which stores were checked.
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