Tenant reports hidden camera found in Wrigleyville bedroom

Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Police remove evidence from Wrigleyville home
Police removed evidence from a Wrigleyville apartment after a tenant reported finding a hidden camera inside her bedroom.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Investigators on Chicago's North Side removed items Tuesday from a woman's apartment after she says a hidden camera was found in her home in Chicago's Wrigleyville neighborhood.

The woman told police she discovered a camera hidden in a ceiling vent in her bedroom on the third floor unit of the condo building. A police report confirms authorities found a "recording device" hidden in a ceiling vent in the woman's bedroom.

On Tuesday, police exercised a search warrant for the entire building in the 1100-block of West Eddy Street. Investigators carried bags of evidence from the building, apparently including computer equipment that may have been linked to a camera the resident reported to police on Monday.

Records show the entire building is owned by Patrick Cunningham, the CEO of a chain of Chicago gyms that includes the Lincoln Park Athletic Club. Police have not accused him of wrongdoing. Cunningham didn't respond to several calls and emails from Eyewitness News.

Police have not determined who placed the camera in the ceiling, but police also reportedly found the camera wired to equipment in the basement where it could be monitored.

"We have a lot of young girls, young guys that live in the neighborhood and this sense of breach of privacy is unusual and we want to make sure that it doesn't happen again ," said Ald. Tom Tunney, 44th Ward.

Police say they are still investigating. No charges have been filed.

Experts say that nowadays, cameras don't even look like cameras. They can be concealed in clocks and record all day, then wirelessly transmit the video off-site.

Russel Myers runs a U-Spy store and shows us how simple items - from clocks to teddy bears - could be concealing a camera.

"Everything can be done over the web now," Myers said.

It's a reminder that prying eyes can be hidden anywhere - and there's no need for a voyeur to access a camera after its hidden.