A Signal Hill restaurant employee pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges that he secretly recorded nine co-workers in the bathroom.
Edgar Augusto Garcia Franco, 49, of Long Beach, is charged with 38 misdemeanor counts of unauthorized invasion of privacy by videotaping or photographing, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Police were dispatched Sunday to the Applebee’s restaurant at 899 E. Spring St. following the discovery of a video camera inside the employees’ restroom.
“The camera was used to capture footage of various employees inside of the restroom,” according to a Signal Hill police statement. “There is no evidence that patrons of the restaurant were videotaped. Applebee’s employees and management are cooperating with the investigation.”
Eight women and one man were allegedly recorded between July and August, according to the criminal complaint.
Garcia Franco was arrested Monday by Signal Hill police and has remained behind bars since then. He is due back in a Long Beach courtroom next Wednesday for a pretrial hearing, and could face up to 19 years in jail if convicted as charged, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
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