Former Sears Worker Sentenced for Videotaping Females in Changing Rooms

A former maintenance worker was sentenced Friday to a year in county jail and three years probation for hiding video cameras in dressing rooms at the Sears store in North Hollywood where he worked and taping scores of women and girls over a three-year period.

Alejandro Gamiz, 27, pleaded no contest to four criminal counts of illegally using a video recording device in a changing room or bathroom.

"The privacy and security of women and children must be safeguarded from predators attempting to invade private spaces, especially with electronic equipment," City Attorney Carmen Trutanich said. "We will continue to aggressively prosecute and seek swift punishment in order to deter and stop such outrageous conduct."

Superior Court Judge Christine C. Ewell also ordered Gamiz to enroll in a one year live-in psychiatric rehabilitation program to follow his jail sentence. Under terms of his probation, Gamiz is prohibited from owning or possessing any computer or cameras of any kind, and he may not access the Internet for any reason.

A restitution hearing was set for Dec. 3.

According to city prosecutors, Gamiz used an array of cameras that were linked to laptop computers. The cameras were triggered by motion sensors, and Gamiz would apparently download the videos during his after-store-hours shift.

Investigators believe more than 1,000 victims were filmed during the three years the cameras were in operation.