Man caught secretly filming women at Suwanee Walmart, police say

Man arrested for secretly filming women at Walmart

Walmart loss prevention employees called Suwanee police after seeing a man follow women around the store. Surveillance video caught the man getting within inches of the women with a small camera. Police charged Tyreece Mattress with invasion of privacy.

SUWANEE, Ga. - A man was arrested at a Walmart in Suwanee after police said he was caught on camera getting within inches of women and secretly recording them without their consent.

Man arrested for filming women at Walmart

What we know:

Walmart loss prevention employees called Suwanee police on Oct. 3 after noticing a man following women around the store. Surveillance video showed the man using a small camera to film women up close, police said.

Officers identified the suspect as Tyreece Mattress, who was arrested and charged with invasion of privacy, a misdemeanor.

Thompson said Mattress had a small pocket camera and was using it to record women without their knowledge. "So he had like a pocket camera that he was using, and he was getting within inches of these women as he was taking the videos," he said.

Police said when officers arrived, they were able to watch the suspect live on surveillance footage. According to a police report, he appeared to be using the light on his phone to see through the women’s clothing.

Police said the women had no idea they were being filmed until officers told them.

Second arrest at Suwanee Walmart

Dig deeper:

This is the second such incident reported at the same store in recent months. In August, police said they arrested 24-year-old Jae Ross for allegedly taking photos up women’s skirts. He was charged with unlawful recording and other offenses.

Loss prevention helps stop filming

What they're saying:

"It was all Walmart loss prevention, just seeing something odd and acting on it," said Capt. Robert Thompson with the Suwanee Police Department. "Not just looking for the shoplifter at Walmart, but seeing something that didn’t look right and calling police."

"So I mean, he was taking this camera and literally holding it within inches of their buttocks, filming them," Thompson said. "Just being in that close proximity to them, and it was only women wearing more tight-fitting clothing than anybody else."

Thompson praised Walmart employees for acting quickly to protect shoppers. "They’re usually looking for thefts in the store, so it’s good to know they’re looking out for the safety of their customers in other areas," he said.

Thompson praised Walmart employees for acting quickly to protect shoppers. "They’re usually looking for thefts in the store, so it’s good to know they’re looking out for the safety of their customers in other areas," he said.