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
LIVE B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
AFN chief says Air Canada offered a 15% discount after her headdress was mishandled
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.