A woman using the restroom at Brazen Fox in White Plains made an unsettling discovery early Sunday morning: a cellphone, hidden inside the toilet paper dispenser, recording. She alerted officers who happened to be patrolling nearby, and within a short time, police had a suspect in handcuffs.
According to ABC7 New York, the phone had been hidden inside a toilet paper dispenser in the unisex bathroom at the bar. The woman who found it flagged down police who were already in the area, a detail that helped speed the response. As reported by the Hudson Valley Post, the discovery happened inside the bathroom at the popular Hudson Valley bar, located on Mamaroneck Avenue.
The White Plains Police Department said a 27-year-old man from Suffern was arrested around 1:34 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1 — Halloween night revelry having just given way to the early morning hours — right at the bar. Per the lohud.com report, he was charged with second-degree unlawful surveillance, a felony. The man's name has not been released, the outlet noted.
Suspect Was a Customer, Not Staff
Authorities said the man arrested was a patron of the pub and not an employee, according to the same ABC7 report. Brazen Fox management has said it was deeply shocked and angered by what happened, and credited its own staff with helping lead to the quick arrest, per the Hudson Valley Post. The bar's management said it would continue assisting police as the case moves forward.
Police said the investigation remains ongoing. Investigators have not received reports of similar incidents at other locations, the ABC7 report added, suggesting — at least for now — that this appears to be an isolated case rather than part of a broader pattern.
Police Urge Vigilance, Seek Tips
White Plains police urged the public to report suspicious devices immediately if they're spotted in public restrooms or other private spaces. Anyone with additional information about the incident is asked to contact the White Plains Police Department at 914-422-6111, according to a report from Patch.
No further details on the suspect's identity or the outcome of the case have been released. For now, the arrest stands as a rare instance of a quick resolution in a type of crime that often goes undetected for far longer.
