What started as a routine shopping trip for two teenage sisters at North East Mall in Hurst turned into a criminal investigation when they spotted a hidden camera tucked into a black bag inside an Aéropostale dressing room. Hurst police say the discovery led to the arrest of a mall employee this week after detectives examined the device and its images. The women later told reporters the find left them shaken and second-guessing how safe it is to shop there.
According to NBC 5 Dallas‑Fort Worth, the first report came on April 24, when one sister noticed what looked like a camera lens peeking through a tear in a black bag hanging inside the fitting room. Her sister pulled out the device, along with a power cord and a battery pack, and then handed everything to a Hurst police officer who was already outside North East Mall.
Arrest and charges
Detectives say a review of the device turned up invasive images that helped identify 23‑year‑old Caleb Leonard as a suspect, according to the Fort Worth Star‑Telegram. Leonard was arrested and charged with invasive visual recording and tampering with physical evidence. Police say he had been placed on administrative leave after the initial report and was later taken into custody at his home without incident.
How shoppers came forward
The sisters took their story to social media, and it did not stay quiet for long. Other shoppers began reaching out. NBC 5 Dallas‑Fort Worth reports that another woman told police she had seen a similar black bag in the same Aéropostale fitting rooms on April 3 and later filed a report.
The women who found the device told reporters the episode has rattled their sense of security while shopping and urged others to take a quick look around fitting rooms before changing, the station added.
What the law covers
Under Texas law, secretly recording someone in a private space, such as a dressing room, without their consent, can be prosecuted as an invasive visual recording. The offense and its potential penalties are laid out in the Texas Penal Code, Section 21.15. Legal summaries, including one from RecordingLaw, note that recent amendments have broadened protections for private spaces and that convictions can carry state‑jail felony penalties and registration consequences.
Investigation ongoing
Hurst police say detectives are still working the case and are asking anyone who used the Aéropostale fitting rooms in early April or on April 24 to contact the department. The city’s public information pages list phone numbers for tips and non‑emergency calls, according to the Hurst Police Department.
Local reporting notes that investigators have continued reviewing the contents of the device as part of the inquiry, and officials are encouraging anyone with information to reach out.
The suspect’s case will now move through local courts. Anyone who believes they may have been recorded, or who has information related to the incident, is urged to contact Hurst police. For on‑the‑ground video and additional coverage, see FOX 4 Dallas‑Fort Worth for the station’s report.
