EH Police: Man was recording girl in shower

A mugshot of Cesar Torres-Cruz after being arrested by East Hartford police on Dec. 1. Courtesy photo. - Contributed Photo

An East Hartford man has been arrested by police on charges that he hid a cell phone in the bathroom of a neighboring house and secretly recorded a 13-year-old girl while she was in the shower. Police arrested the man, 37-year-old Cesar Torres-Cruz of 74 Olmsted St. in East Hartford, on charges of voyeurism.

According to reports released by the East Hartford Police Department, Torres-Cruz concealed the cell phone inside an empty box of soap, which he placed inside the girl's shower. The report states that the girl, age 13, found the cell phone, which police said was set up to record her while she was in the shower. The report did not say how long the phone had been in the girl's shower. An investigation by police determined that the phone belonged to Torres-Cruz, who is one of the girl's neighbors.

Police said that they located and interviewed Torres-Cruz shortly after the discovery of the phone, and that Torres-Cruz admitted to being involved in the incident during the interview. Police said that Torres-Cruz was able to gain access to the girl's home and shower as the result of a relationship with his mother, who is the owner and landlord of the property. Torres-Cruz's mother has not been charged in the incident.

According to information released by the state judicial system, Torres-Cruz was arraigned in Manchester on Dec. 3, and is being held on $75,000 bond for one charge of voyeurism with malice, a class D felony, and one charge of risk of injury to a minor, a class C felony. If convicted, Torres-Cruz could face up to 15 years in prison. The case is due in court on Jan. 8, 2013.

At the time this article was written, police were still investigating the cell phone to determine what it had recorded. Police said they do not know if there were any other victims in the case. East Hartford police declined to comment on the case and have not released a full arrest record, citing an ongoing investigation and upcoming court date.