Prosecutors say a man was found with over 70 inappropriate videos of random women in public after he was arrested for recording a woman while she was in a changing room at a Round Lake Beach store.
Elvis E. Merida-Viana, 33, whose city of residence is unknown, was charged with unauthorized videotaping, a Class 4 felony, and retail theft under $300, a Class A misdemeanor.
The Round Lake Beach Police Department responded on August 13 to the Goodwill Store and Donation Center, 2051 North Route 83 in Round Lake Beach.
Officers spoke to a woman who reported that a man, identified as Merida-Viana, had been following her around the store, according to Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Mary Vukovich.
The victim went to the changing room and Merida-Viana went into the changing room next to her, Vukovich said.
The woman took her shirt off and then noticed a shadow so she covered her top, Vukovich said.
She saw Merida-Viana’s cell phone under the changing room stall, at which time she screamed.
Vukovich said Merida-Viana ran out of the stall and exited the store. Officers arrived and located the man.
The woman positively identified Merida-Viana as the suspect. He told officers he was at the store to buy pants.
Merida-Viana left the store with the pants and did not pay for them, Vukovich said.
He also gave consent to officers to search his cell phone. Officers found videos on the phone of the woman.
Vukovich said Merida-Viana also had approximately 75 other videos where he was in retail stores walking through aisles recording upskirt videos of strangers.
Merida-Viana appeared in First Appearance Court and was released after prosecutors informed the court that the charges were non-detainable under the Illinois SAFE-T Act.
Lake County Judge Ari Fisz said he “unfortunately” had to release Merida-Viana and placed the man on pre-trial conditions.
Merida-Viana was barred from having any contact with the victim or any Goodwill store.
He is scheduled to appear in court again on September 12 for a status of preliminary hearing.