A 35-year-old Oakland man is in custody after Berkeley police say he used shoe-mounted cameras to secretly film women and minors near the UC Berkeley campus.
Noah Stein, 35, was arrested Oct. 30 following what investigators called a “significant break” in their case, according to the Berkeley Police Department. The probe had begun four days earlier when a teenage girl reported a disturbing encounter at Lox Stock and Bagel, a popular eatery at 2043 Allston Way near downtown Berkeley.
The teen told officers she had accidentally stepped on the man’s foot while waiting in line, then noticed a camera pointed toward her. Detectives collected evidence from the scene and used Automated License Plate Reader technology to place Stein in the area at the time of the alleged incident, police said.
Early Friday morning, Oct. 30, an officer patrolling the south side of the UC Berkeley campus was approached by a witness who reported “seeing a man with a camera attached to his shoe, apparently recording up women’s skirts,” according to police. Officers located and detained the suspect, then recovered a discarded mini camera from a nearby trash can during a search of the surrounding area.
“As the investigation continued, detectives obtained a search warrant for the suspect’s residence in Oakland and seized several electronic devices,” the department said.
The scope of the case widened when investigators discovered a stationary camera allegedly concealed inside the Taco Bell Cantina near campus on Oct. 29. Police now believe Stein may have been frequenting the UC Berkeley South Campus area “for several weeks and may have secretly recorded additional victims.”
Stein faces multiple charges including invasion of privacy using a concealed video recording device, annoying or molesting a minor, and destruction of evidence. The investigation has prompted an urgent effort to identify other potential targets.
“We are urging anyone who was inside the Taco Bell Cantina after 11 pm that night, believes they may have been secretly recorded, or has information about this suspect to contact the Berkeley Police Department’s Sex Crimes Unit at 510-981-5735,” authorities said.
The case has drawn attention to vulnerabilities in crowded campus-area businesses where patrons may not notice concealed recording devices. Both Lox Stock and Bagel and the Taco Bell Cantina are located in the heavily trafficked corridor between downtown Berkeley and the university’s south side, drawing students, residents, and visitors throughout the day and evening.
Police have not disclosed what data, if any, was recovered from the electronic devices seized during the residential search, nor have they specified how many potential victims they are attempting to locate. The department’s Sex Crimes Unit continues to field tips as the investigation proceeds.
