An unsettling invasion of privacy unfolded this past weekend at the Dolphin Mall, where an employee was arrested for allegedly planting a camera pen in a store bathroom. According to NBC Miami, 38-year-old Bernardo Pellicer-Dorta faced charges of video voyeurism and battery after a female colleague discovered the device at The Cosmetics Company Store.
The mall's management, and subsequently local law enforcement were alerted after, the sales associate reported finding what seemed to be a camera disguised as a pen in the restroom. In a detailed account to police, captured by WSVN, Pellicer-Dorta initially claimed the recording device was brought to the workplace because he felt his termination was imminent and wanted to gather evidence of colleagues' discussions about him. He suggested that the camera inadvertently fell out of his pocket.
However, the evidence seemed to contradict Pellicer-Dorta's assertion of an accidental recording. Footage obtained from the camera pen showed him "strategically looking for places to hide the device, before putting it in the bottom corner of a cleaning supply cart with the lens positioned towards the toilet area and walking out," per the arrest report. Subsequent to police questioning, he admitted to his actions. After exhibiting elevated heart rates, Pellicer-Dorta was briefly hospitalized before being booked into the Turner Guilford Knight correctional facility, though he has since been released on bond, as detailed by WSVN.
When the pen was discovered, Pellicer-Dorta reportedly attempted to retrieve it by trying to snatch it away from the employee who found it, "touching her against her will," according to NBC Miami. These actions ultimately led to the additional charge of battery. The sales associate who had used the bathroom after Pellicer-Dorta, was unaware until her discovery that she was being recorded, a privacy violation with potential long-lasting effects.
This case remains under investigation, with the authorities continuing to explore the extent of the recordings and potential additional victims.
