San José police arrested a 38-year-old man after an employee spotted a hidden camera tucked inside the public restroom of a downtown coffee shop, according to the department. The device was reported on June 9, and detectives later secured a warrant that led to the suspect’s arrest in early July.
In a press release shared through San José Police Media Relations, the department said the camera was discovered inside a business on the 100 block of East Santa Clara Street. Investigators concluded that an adult man had installed the device the same morning it was found. The release, logged as case 26-160-0232, notes that the Real Time Intelligence Center and automated license-plate readers were used to identify a vehicle tied to the suspect.
SJPD Arrests Suspect for Hiding Camera in Public Restroomhttps://t.co/u1DJn66nAj
— San José Police Media Relations (@SJPD_PIO) July 16, 2026
Hidden-camera cases have cropped up before
Incidents involving covert recording devices and voyeurism arrests have surfaced repeatedly around the Bay Area, and investigators say catching them in real time is not always easy. The San Francisco Chronicle previously covered a 2024 hidden-camera case inside another coffee shop, a separate investigation that uncovered dozens of victims and a large trove of evidence taken from the suspect’s home.
Arrest, charges and how police tracked him
According to police, detectives obtained an arrest warrant for 38-year-old David Perales of San José and located him in the city on July 2. He was booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on an invasion-of-privacy charge, the department said. Investigators asked anyone with information to contact Detective Gregory #4435 of the SJPD Sexual Assault Investigations Unit at 408-277-4102 or [email protected], and the release added that tips can also be submitted through the P3Tips app, the (408) 947-STOP tip line, or Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers’ website via San José Police Media Relations.
How to report suspicious devices
Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers operates the anonymous P3Tips app and the (408) 947-STOP hotline, and the group states that people whose tips lead to an arrest may qualify for a cash reward. City guidance directs residents and business owners to those same tip lines if they suspect illegal recording devices in restrooms or other public-facing spaces.
Why technology matters
City documents show that the Police Department has been folding public cameras and hundreds of automated license-plate readers into a Real Time Intelligence Center designed to accelerate investigations, a system the city has been bringing fully online in recent months. The expansion of the Real Time Intelligence Center is described in a City Council memorandum, and police say that technology played a role in connecting the vehicle involved in this case.
