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Suspect arrested after video camera found in men’s locker room: Southington Police

SOUTHINGTON —  Police arrested a suspect in connection with a video camera found in a men’s locker room. On Monday, police said they were called to ...

SOUTHINGTON --  Police arrested a suspect in connection with a video camera found in a men's locker room.

On Monday, police said they were called to the YMCA at 29 High St., after a camera was found in the drying off area of the men's locker room.

Police arrested Leonidas Fernando Torres-Cabrera, 30, of Naugatuck. They said he positioned a cell phone in a gym bag and recorded the area near the drying area outside the showers.  Police said Torres Cabrera was seen in the area of the bag several times a short time prior to the camera being discovered.  This led to him being a suspect.  Police said Torres-Cabrera was interviewed and admitted that the gym bag and camera were his and that he set them up in the location.

Torres-Cabrera was charged with Voyeurism and Disorderly Conduct.  He was released on a $25,000 bond and scheduled to appear in Bristol Court and will be in court on February 13.

YMCA released the following statement:

Dear YMCA Members:

I am writing to make you aware of an incident that occurred at the Southington Community YMCA yesterday afternoon.

At approximately 4:45p.m., two men informed our staff that they discovered a backpack that appeared to have a smartphone set to record in one of its mesh pockets. The backpack was sitting on a bench in the drying-off area outside of the showers in the men’s locker room.

Staff immediately called the Southington Police Department, who came to the YMCA to investigate and subsequently arrested the owner of the backpack, a 30-year-old man who was visiting the Southington YMCA 29 High Street facility from another Y in the area. The man has been charged with voyeurism and disorderly conduct.

We do not at this time have information on what, if anything, the smartphone recorded. We are fully supporting the police department’s investigation and will pass along any information we receive. Anyone with concerns about this situation is encouraged to contact the police department at 860-378-1644.

The safety and security of everyone who enters our YMCA is our top priority. We have a series of policies and procedures in place designed to maintain a safe environment. For example, we screen all visitors against a national sexual offender registry before permitting them to enter our facility. The visitor who has been arrested is not on the registry.

Also, our staff are purposefully visible throughout our facility as part of our efforts to prevent inappropriate or unsafe behavior. They regularly tour locker rooms and other areas that aren’t easily visible. We will review our practices in light of this situation to determine whether they can be strengthened.

Please contact me at 860-621-8737 if you have questions. I will do my best to answer them.

As always, thank you for being an important part of our YMCA family. We greatly appreciate your participation and support.

Sincerely,
John Myers
Executive Director

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