Oakland Man Arrested in Berkeley Hidden-Camera Investigation

Berkeley police began investigating on October 26, after a teenage girl said she noticed a camera pointed toward her while she waited in line at Lox Stock and Bagel in downtown Berkeley. She had accidentally stepped on a man’s foot, police said, and suspected he had been recording beneath her skirt. Investigators gathered evidence and used license plate reader technology to place a possible suspect in the area at the time.

On October 30, a person approached an officer near UC Berkeley’s campus and reported seeing a man apparently recording women with a camera attached to his shoe. Officers detained Stein and found a small camera in a nearby trash bin, police said. He was taken into custody over allegations of secretly recording someone in a private setting, harassing or bothering a minor, and destroying evidence.

Police said detectives searched Stein’s Oakland home under a warrant and seized electronic devices. Investigators also found a fixed camera tucked out of sight inside a Taco Bell Cantina close to campus, which they said had been hidden there on October 29. They believe Stein may have visited the area south of campus for several weeks and are seeking other potential victims.

Anyone who was at the Taco Bell after 11 p.m. on October 29, thinks they may have been recorded, or has information about Stein is asked to contact Berkeley police’s Sex Crimes Unit at 510-981-5735.