Report: Fla. business's "bathroom cam" seized by cops

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. - The owner of a tour company is under investigation by the Miami Beach Police Department’s Special Victims Unit after allegations surfaced that he was videotaping people in the bathroom of his business, reports CBS Miami.

Police said the owner of the Half Price Miami Tours sales shop installed a hidden camera that is reportedly disguised as a motion detector inside a bathroom that doubles as a storage area.

According to allegations in a search warrant obtained by the station, the restroom is used by employees and customers of the business.

The store’s owner, John Sansax, was not available for comment but his attorney, Edward O'Donnell IV told the station the camera was installed after thieves stole $50,000 from a safe in the bathroom.

“The businesses had been burglarized three times,” O'Donnell told the station.

“Everyone’s made aware that they are being recorded. We are being hit heavy, people are stealing from us, we think it’s an inside job,” said O’Donnell.

The bathroom is supposedly off limits, but one employee complained, according to the search warrant, that the surveillance equipment was installed while the business was closed and without her knowledge.

The woman claimed she often used the restroom, reports the station.

The store’s owner reportedly said the complainant was an ex-employee fired for padding her time sheet and it was her future brother-in-law who went to police.

The owner claims no one ever looked at whatever the disguised camera might have captured because there were no more burglaries, according to the station.

Police seized the video system and a computer from the store. They stated they did not find any pictures or video on the computer.  It has been sent to a special forensics lab to determine whether pictures ever existed on the computer, reports the station.