According to court documents, Vargas-Fernandez placed spy cameras under the sink aimed at the toilet in two all-gender, single-use bathrooms at the Expedia office building between Dec 4, 2023, and Jan 11. — Reuters
A Lynnwood man is accused of installing hidden spy cameras in bathrooms at Seattle’s Expedia headquarters, according to King County prosecutors.
Marcelo Vargas-Fernandez, 42, is charged with four counts of first-degree voyeurism. Seattle police arrested the former Expedia employee Feb 1 following a months-long investigation.
According to court documents, Vargas-Fernandez placed spy cameras under the sink aimed at the toilet in two all-gender, single-use bathrooms at the Expedia office building between Dec 4, 2023, and Jan 11. Investigators said at least 10 people were seen in the illegal footage and believe “several more victims have yet to be discovered”.
Officers found 33 spy cameras, 22 solid-state drives and six hard drives with at least 20 terabytes of storage capacity after searching Vargas-Fernandez’s car and Lynnwood apartment.
Court documents said one of the people caught on camera, a 17-year Expedia vanpool driver, discovered the hidden cameras – white boxes with cellphone-like devices attached to them with black Velcro – in two restrooms on Dec 4.
The employee said he felt “immediate fear” after spotting the lens on one of the cameras, realising “his face was seen looking directly at it”, the documents said.
After he left the first restroom, he came across two colleagues and told them he thought there was a camera in the bathroom, and that “it was under the sink and it probably captured everyone with their pants down”, according to court records.
The employee also found a second camera in the bathroom next door and notified company security. Security didn’t take the devices because they thought they played music or served as a battery backup for a soap dispenser, according to court documents.
Police said Vargas-Fernandez removed the cameras after his fellow employee discovered them. He then waited a month to reinstall the cameras in the same restrooms, according to court documents. The cameras were rediscovered and the restrooms temporarily closed.
Investigators identified Vargas-Fernandez as a suspect after repeatedly capturing him entering and exiting the restrooms with a device in his hand after the cameras were initially discovered, court documents said.
A search warrant confirmed Vargas-Fernandez purchased two spy camera devices on Amazon in October that match the devices recovered, police said.
A police dog helped investigators discover concealed cameras while searching Vargas-Fernandez’s apartment and car, said Casey McNerthney, a spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office. Police also discovered double-sided black Velcro tape consistent with the Velcro located on the two spy cameras in the Expedia bathrooms, according to court documents.
Following his arrest, Vargas-Fernandez told police he used spy cameras to surveil his ex-wife in her home without her knowledge, according to court documents. He said he also used hidden cameras in his own apartment to record himself and his four-year-old daughter because of safety concerns, Vargas-Fernandez alleges.
Vargas-Fernandez denied any link to the cameras in the Expedia bathrooms.
Police believe there may be additional places where Vargas-Fernandez has placed cameras, according to court documents. Prosecutors also believe he could commit a violent sexual offense, and have “significant concern for victim and community safety because of his alleged actions”, according to court documents.
Officials set Vargas-Fernandez’s bail at US$200,000 (RM956,100). He’s next scheduled to appear in court Thursday. – The Seattle Times/Tribune News Service
