Petaluma police arrested a Berkeley man Tuesday on suspicion of peeping with electronic devices under guest room doors at the Sheraton Sonoma County-Petaluma hotel, a police sergeant said.
Police went to the hotel at 745 Baywood Drive around 6 p.m. A guest said a man later identified as Javier Martinez, 30, of Berkeley, was seen on his hands and knees looking under guest room doors the previous evening.
A victim said he spoke briefly with Martinez in the lounge the previous evening but did not know him. Officers learned Martinez changed his original room to one adjoining the victim's room, Sgt. Lance Novello said.
Martinez had been staying at the hotel for more than a week, and he admitted looking under doors to learn which ones were corner rooms so he could switch to one of them, Novello said.
A suspected Petaluma Peeper. Petaluma police arrest man they say was using high tech camera equipment, including a spy pen, to secretly record other hotel guests in their rooms. Take a look at what police found in his Sheraton Hotel room!! pic.twitter.com/M52jU6EdXh
— Jodi Hernandez (@JodiHernandezTV) December 12, 2018
When officers searched Martinez's room, they found electronic recording devices, external electronic data storage devices, fiber optic cameras and tools that could be used to install cameras, according to Novello.
Officers found a camera under the victim's adjoining door that was actively recording, but Martinez said his activities were innocent in nature and inspired by television reality shows, Novello said.
Martinez was a frequent guest at the Sheraton hotel chain, and police are investigating if there are other victims, the sergeant said.
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Martinez was arrested on suspicion of peeping and was booked into Sonoma County Jail.
