The foreign students found something creepy about the South Beach room they rented off Craigslist: three portable clocks in the bathroom. When the women checked the clocks out, a Miami Beach police report says they found the something — a video camera inside each clock.
Winston Vargas, who sublet the room to the women via Craigslist, told police a man from England put the clocks there. Despite his claim, police arrested Vargas late Tuesday on a charge of video voyeurism on a subject over 18 years old.
The women told Miami Beach police they answered Vargas’ Craigslist post about a room for rent in one of 1601 Euclid Ave.’s apartments on Monday and had moved in by 3 p.m. Monday. While they moved in, Vargas cleaned the room, which was connected to his room by a door.
Tuesday, around 7:15 p.m., the young women examined the clocks. Upon discovering the cameras, they called police. The responding officer says he confirmed that, yes, each clock contained a camera with a video card.
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With the officer listening, one young woman called Vargas and demanded a rent refund because the clock camera caught her showering. Vargas agreed, according to the police report. But when Vargas got to the building and saw a police officer, he allegedly said he’d give back the rent only if the women didn’t press charges.
Then, police said, that’s when Vargas pointed across the Atlantic Ocean to assign blame for the clocks. Police said they asked Vargas to name the Englishman. Vargas replied by asking for a lawyer.
David J. Neal: 305-376-3559, @DavidJNeal
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