American University student charged with voyeurism after allegedly filming man in bathroom
WASHINGTON - An American University student is facing charges for secretly recording someone in the bathroom and FOX 5 has learned that the suspect was also reported missing just days after the alleged incident.
American University police say the peeping incident happened two weeks ago on July 22 in a bathroom at the library. The student accused of recording is 19-year-old Kris Emmanuel Estrada.
According to court documents Estrada used his cell phone to record a man using the restroom in the stall next to him.
"Peeping Toms are gross," AU senior Taylor Murray said.
Disgust and frustration are what American University students are feeling after learning about the recent arrest of 19-year-old student Kris Emmanuel Estrada.
According to the charging documents, on July 22, a man using the restroom on the second floor of Bender Library caught someone recording him from the stall next door. The man left the restroom and reported the incident to university police giving them a description of the suspect's shoes.
Through surveillance cameras and student ID card access records, police were able to identify Estrada as their suspect. Several days later police obtained a warrant to search Estrada’s dorm room at Constitution Hall.
Police confiscated his phone and when they went through it, they found seven recently deleted videos from July 22 of a man who matched the victim's toilet.
While students are glad the suspect was caught, some are upset about the way the school handled the incident.
"It’s crazy that they didn’t tell us about it," Murray said.
MORE FROM FOX 5: Howard University's medical school receives $175 million gift
In a statement to FOX 5 DC, American University says "On July 22, a voyeurism incident was reported to AUPD, which launched an immediate investigation. Through this investigation, a student was identified as a suspect and arrested last week."
Murray and other students tell us they found out that Estrada is facing a voyeurism charge through the student-led paper and not an email or message from school leaders.
"The real frustration is the way we find out about these instances is through other students," recent American University graduate Amanda Carroll said. "The Eagle is a student-run paper and it’s frustrating not to see something come from the university itself."
Students who spoke with FOX 5 did point out that Estrada was reported missing last week. Friends and family shared this poster. According to the university, he was safely located and turned himself in.
"It’s unacceptable and shouldn’t be happening on our campus or any campus," Murray said.
FOX 5 is told that Estrada was registered for summer classes and that’s why he was on campus.
But this isn’t the first time a "voyeurism" incident was reported on campus. Back in April, a student was suspended and barred from campus after peeping at one of the residence halls, and a similar situation happened last year.
"It’s not only just this situation and the three instances but there’s also been instances in the dorms and no accountability or communication," Murray said.
In a statement, the university said that "voyeurism — like all other crimes — is unacceptable on our campus."
Estrada did appear before a judge where he pleaded not guilty. His next court date is in September.