A New Jersey man was caught secretly recording strangers in bathrooms at Wawa and Planet Fitness locations across the state, according to reports.
Daniel Zhang, 23, is facing 15 counts of invasion of privacy for over 50 recordings found on his phone that were allegedly recorded between May and September 2024, 6ABC reported.
The footage on Zhang’s phone was recorded surreptitiously in several Planet Fitness gyms and a Wawa in the Garden State, PHL17 reported, citing the Township of Hamilton Police Department.
The alleged voyeur would sit in a stall adjacent to his target — then hold his phone over the top of the divider to take videos and photos of the oblivious victims in their most private of moments, according to an arrest affidavit reviewed by 6ABC.
Zhang was allegedly caught in the act by a Planet Fitness member in the Hamilton Mall shopping Center in Mays Landing on Sept. 16, according to the reports.
Witness Joseph Hayes stated that he walked into the gym’s bathroom to see two men struggling over a cell phone.
“That’s what I walked into. The guy trying to get his phone back from the guy who saw some pictures of himself on his phone,” Hayes told 6ABC.
That incident prompted a probe by the Township of Hamilton Police Department investigators, who arrested Zhang on Tuesday, according to the PHL17 report.
“Attraction is what makes him want to record them,” an affidavit reviewed by the outlet read, citing an admission from Zhang.
The 23-year-old suspect allegedly recorded one victim more than once, according to the arrest affidavit, and more charges could be filed when more victims are identified, according to 6ABC.
