OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla.,None — A well-known Spanish Christian singer was arrested Wednesday after he allegedly attached a camera to his shoe and had his foot placed where he could record up a woman's skirt, the Osceola County Sheriff's Office said Friday.
Lowis Garcia III, 30, was arrested on charges of video voyeurism and child abuse. The Spanish-language Evangelist and performer is use to being on camera, but investigators said he preferred taking illicit videos of women, unknowingly, as they shopped.
"I think it's disgusting! I mean for somebody to do something like that. I mean to violate to the point where they don't even know they've been violated," shopper Patrice Campbell said.
Deputies say the investigation began in late June when deputies responded to a Ross department store in Kissimmee on North John Young Parkway. When deputies arrived, they spoke with the victim who said she and her mother were shopping in the store and she heard her mother ask a man behind them what he was doing.
Detectives said, when the woman turned around, she saw what appeared to be video equipment attached to his shoe, pointing upward. Her mother said the man had his foot placed where he could videotape up her skirt.
Officers said, after a brief confrontation, Garcia fled the store with a young child. Based on the information provided by the witnesses, detectives were able to find the man, identified as Garcia.
"It appears as if he had taken the child with him when he had gone to videotape these women inappropriately," Twis Lizasuain of the Osceola County Sheriff's Office said.
Detectives said they obtained a search warrant for Garcia's home on Brewster Drive and spoke with him about the incident. Garcia told detectives he brought his 5-year-old son with him to the store at the time of the incident. They took Garcia's cellular phone into evidence.
Detectives later confirmed there were more than 77 videos on Garcia's phone; 51 videos were of unsuspecting women being taped inappropriately at various department stores.
Officers are hoping shopping carts with store names on them in his other videos, may help them figure out the where he's victimized other women.
"They would like to contact those victims and if they are able to get statements from them there will be additional voyeurism charges," Lizasuain said.
Until other victims come forward, Garcia faces only one voyeurism charge and one child abuse charge for bringing his child along on the crime. His son is with his mother.
Garcia has bonded out of jail, but would not answer his door when WFTV tried to get a comment.
The investigation is on-going as detectives attempt to identify more victims. Anyone with information regarding Garcia is asked to call the Osceola County Sheriff's Office at (407) 348-2222 or Crimeline at (800) 423-TIPS (8477).
WFTV
