Hidden camera found inside Ontario Tim Hortons bathroom
An Ontario woman is issuing a warning after she says a hidden camera was found inside a Tim Hortons restaurant.
Hamilton resident Emily Hasler told CTV News Toronto her sister found the camera around 11 a.m. on Sept. 22 at a Tim Hortons, located at 30 Queenston Road, when she was with her young child.
“After my niece finished going to the bathroom, my sister-in-law was cleaning her up and noticed that there was a camera hidden in the corner,” she said.
A phone had allegedly been placed in a pile of garbage, with a slight opening around the camera. She said the phone was attached to a battery pack, which could have allowed the camera to operate for a longer period of time.
Photos posted to Facebook show the phone was placed in an empty Tim Hortons cup, with what appears to be tissue paper on top.
Hasler said the restaurant manager was informed and that a security camera showed what appeared to be a male entering the bathroom with the device.
“The men's bathroom was closed for plumbing issues,” Hasler said. “I guess they were having the men use the women's bathroom, which I guess would be the time when the guy got in there unnoticed.”
A phone with a camera is seen in a garbage pile at an east-end Hamilton Tim Horton's. (Emily Hasler)
Police have confirmed they are investigating the incident and said when officers attended the scene, the cellphone was still recording. Officers seized the cell phone as evidence.
“It's scary for any individual to find a cell phone in such a vulnerable area,” Hamilton Police Cst. Indy Bharaj said.
The investigation is ongoing, police said. No charges have been laid and there are no suspects at this point in time.
“It’s just like a violation,” Hasler said. “You just feel disgusting after that.”
“You don't know it wasn't streaming. Was it just recording? We don't know.”
Hasler said the east-end coffee shop is near an elementary school, and by the end of the day there are usually a lot of students inside buying treats and beverages.
The family is now issuing a warning to others to be mindful of their surroundings.
“I go to the bathroom all the time. I don't think, ‘Hey, should I look around for a camera?’ But the reality is that there are sick people out there.”
CTV News Toronto contacted Tim Hortons for comment but has not received a response.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.