A former Sears maintenance worker spied on women and children for years by secretly filming in women’s restrooms and fitting rooms at a North Hollywood branch and managers turned a “blind eye” to his “outwardly suspicious and highly questionable behavior,” a lawsuit by 25 women and a child alleges.
Alejandro Gamiz, 28, allegedly bought tools and supplies to facilitate his peeping activities, yet no one at Sears noticed him bring these supplies onto the premises or use them, the lawsuit said. Gamiz allegedly frequently pretended to be conducting maintenance work in the women’s restrooms, women’s fitting rooms, air ducts, and crawl spaces at the North Hollywood store, even when no maintenance was required, according to the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Dec. 12.
Gamiz allegedly took “extended absences” that went unnoticed by Sears staff, court records said.
“Each day he came to work, Gamiz would enter the women’s fitting room, sometimes empty-handed, and spend a substantial amount of time in there, which was recorded by Sears’ own video recording system …" the lawsuit said. “Despite Gamiz’s outwardly suspicious and questionable behavior, and the numerous, glaring 'red flags' his behavior created, Sears never questioned Gamiz's conduct.”
Sears spokesman Howard Riefs said the company denies the allegations.
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