Peeping Tom at University of Michigan removes peepholes
The Michigan Daily
2/5/2014
WHERE: East Quad Residence Hall
WHEN: Tuesday at about 12 a.m.
WHAT: Maintenance reported stolen peephole hardware from third-floor rooms, University police reported. There are currently no suspects and the stolen hardware has been replaced.
Multiple Burglaries with Peepholes Removed in Buckhead GA
10/3/2013
Peephole Burglar Arrested
Buckhead, GA
Epps was honored for arresting a suspect accused of burglarizing and robbing several residents. In April through June, Zone 2, which includes all of Buckhead, had several burglaries with a unique pattern. All occurred in apartment complexes and all had the door’s peepholes removed. Epps worked with apartment complexes’ staff to get any available video of a suspect.
In May a suspect entered an apartment where the victim was sleeping. The victim confronted the suspect, who then pulled a gun on him, threatened him and stole some items. The victim was able to work with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to produce a good sketch of the suspect. Epps and Officer Severance distributed the sketch to the affected complexes. They were then able to obtain security video of the suspect in the hallway entering an apartment and leaving with a gray bicycle.
June 19, while driving to a meeting, Lt. Rodney Woody saw a man fitting the suspect’s description. He radioed Epps, who came and spoke with the suspect on Peachtree Road near the Westin hotel in Buckhead. The suspect identified himself as Johnny Cleckley but said he had no ID on him. Epps radioed the dispatch operator with his name and the operator said there was a warrant out for Cleckley’s arrest.
Epps started to handcuff Cleckley, who then struggled with him. Cleckley then produced a handgun and pointed it at Epps, who drew his own gun and fired several shots at Cleckley striking him several times. Cleckley was arrested and transported to Grady Memorial Hospital in downtown Atlanta with severe injuries. Cleckley was positively identified by several burglary and robbery victims and linked to several crimes in Buckhead. He is a convicted felon who already has spent several years in prison.
Source: http://buckheadview.com/2013/10/03/business-group-presents-3-public-safety-awards/
Peephole removed and missing. This man broke into an apartment and claimed to be Jack Bauer from “24″
Seattle— A North Seattle couple found a mess in their apartment and police say their suspect believed he was Jack Bauer from the television show “24” when he broke in.
David Stolte, 30, was arrested and charged with residential burglary.
Derek Doerschel and his fiancee Danielle Green came home last Sunday to their door ajar.
Doerschel told KIRO 7 he found screens off their windows, kitty litter in the sink, food strewn all over the kitchen, a frozen pie in the oven, and a frozen crab in the closet.
“The crab from the freezer was just sitting right here on the blanket on the bike,” he said.
Clothes were in the bathtub. Doerschel’s credit cards had been removed from his wallet and were stuffed in a chocolate muffin.
The peephole in their front door had somehow been removed and was missing.
Doerschel said his fiancee was shaken up.
“She was scared,” he said. “She was getting a little emotional.”
Doerschel called police and spotted a man crouched in the alley beside the apartment with his hands on his head.
He said the man threw something at him.
“At first I thought it was a shell casing to a gun or a bullet,” Doerschel said.
It was the peephole to the apartment.
When police arrived, they arrested Stolte as he tried to jump the railing on the fourth floor of the same building, where he often stays with his mother.
Police said he implied he’d taken LSD.
Court documents obtained by KIRO 7 state that Stolte has no known criminal convictions but that police contacted him several times over the past few years for running around naked, climbing on roofs at Seattle Center naked, and even smashing a bus window in Oregon and lying in the middle of the road attempting to get run over.
“It’s progressively getting worse,” Stolte’s mother, Ria Quinton said.
She said she was “shocked and horrified” by the description of her son’s behavior on Sunday. Quinton said he’s on medication for bipolar I disorder.
Quinton says she’s tried everything, including taking him to the emergency room because of his behavior and trying to get him admission to Evergreen Health. She said her son is on the waiting list for a therapist.
KIRO 7 asked if he’s a danger. She said he’s only a danger to himself.
“I know he would never hurt anyone else,” Quinton said. “He is capable of damaging property.”
Quinton said she hopes a judge will do what she can’t: order that he spend time in a psychiatric hospital.
Source: http://www.kiro7.com/news/burglary-victims-find-credit-cards-stuffed-muffin-/81850174
Peephole Burglary at the Flats at Carr’s Hill - Athens GA
Burglary at the Flats at Carr’s Hill
September 20, 2013
A University of Georgia student reported his apartment at the Flats at Carr’s Hill broken into Friday between 1:30 a.m. and 3:30 a.m.
The victim was reportedly asleep in the apartment when his door was kicked in and his Xbox 360, four controllers and the game inside of the Xbox were stolen.
The victim said two weeks ago, “someone had taken out the peephole installed inside of his front door.” This also happened to “a few of the apartment doors near him.” The victim had patched the hole up himself instead of calling maintenance, according to the police report.
The victim did report a possible suspect, saying that “the only suspicious person he had contact with inside his apartment building” was a man who lived at the Flats at Carr’s Hill and who was “trying to sell drugs to the residents.” The victim said that he had let this man into his apartment, according to the report.
Fingerprints were collected at the scene.
Peephole Burgarlies in Buckhead GA
Burglaries
Buckhead, GA
Nov 3, 2012
2800 block of Peachtree Road, NE – A residential burglary was reported on Oct. 22. A woman said that her residence was broken into through the front door, which was pried open. The peep hole was pushed out on the door, and costume jewelry was taken along with a laptop computer, a Social Security card and two kitchen knives.
700 block of Sidney Marcus Boulevard, NE – A residential burglary was reported on Oct. 23. Someone broke in through the back door of the victim’s apartment and stole his laptop and other items, along with the peep hole, which was found in the grass in the back yard.
Source: http://www.reporternewspapers.net/2012/11/16/buckhead-police-blotter-dated-through-nov-3/
Police Catch Alleged Mass. Serial Burglar who Removed Peepholes to See Inside Apartments
Boston, MA
June 19, 2012
Police say the suspect is a career criminal who’s been arraigned more than 300 times.
They say he targeted the apartments he allegedly broke into by checking the mail room for stacks of mail – assuming the residents were on vacation; watching for when people left for the gym or work; and poking out peep holes to get a better view of whether anyone was home and what the apartment had to offer in terms of valuables.
Police say this man – 44-year-old Craig Cromartie of Framingham – was able to sneak in and out of apartment buildings throughout eastern and central Massachusetts over the past year, breaking into condos and apartments, sometimes staying for several hours, before making off with thousands of dollars worth of valuable property.
Police say he was a professional criminal, getting away with upwards of two hundred burglaries, and accumulating more than a million dollars in stolen jewelry, purses, rugs, artwork and other high end items – that is before he was nabbed by police in a multi-jurisdictional operation Monday.
“He was as experienced with this as I am with my job,” said Needham Police Sgt. Joe O’Brien.
Police in Needham started detecting a pattern with break-ins last month and spread the word, eventually involving more than ten agencies to build a case against Cromartie.
“Because of surveillance, and because of an exchange of information and people not being afraid to talk to each other, we were all able to get together and culminate in the arrests that were made yesterday,” said Brookline Police Chief Dan O’Leary.
Also arrested was 62-year-old Florin Ghita of Weymouth after police found about $250,000 worth of merchandise Cromartie allegedly stole being sold inside his Downtown Crossing jewelry store.
“It’s one thing to steal, it’s another thing to have a place to sell your stolen goods,” said Boston Police Supt. Paul Fitzgerald. “Mr. Ghita knowingly provided that service to at least this one suspect.”
This Garrison Square building in Boston was allegedly one of Cromartie’s targets. Those who live here say the thefts are shocking.
“I just remember when we got the e-mail and my boyfriend and I were immediately double locking our doors,” said one woman named Ashley.
“It’s certainly scary, I mean I’m glad he’s caught, but a place in this part of town or Beacon Hill or Back Bay is probably always going to be targets for break-ins,” said resident Nate Roberts.
Police say they believe the suspect looked for specific high end items, for which he knew there was a re-sale market. They’re asking anyone who may have been a potential victim to give their local police department a call.
Residential burglary in Bolingbrook IL - Peephole Removed
Bolingbrook IL
Police Reports, Jan. 9, 2012
A wood door frame was damaged, the peep hole was missing and a 55-inch TV was taken from a home on the 500 block of Preston Drive between midnight and 7:57 a.m.
Source:http://patch.com/illinois/bolingbrook/police-blotter-five-homes-broken-into-in-one-day-c9d1e6f1
Case highlights 'spoofing' and other electronic stalking - reverse peephole viewer found
Case highlights ‘spoofing’ and other electronic stalking
By Nathan Gorenstein, Inquirer Staff Writer
March 20, 2011
The e-mailed threat was stark. “How would you like it if your sister went missing?” The next message was an insult. “Whore,” the writer said, and taunted, “You called the cops but they can’t do anything.”
Todd Hart, 26, had reason to believe his boast was accurate.
The victim, an ex-girlfriend he threatened for weeks last June, had called police about earlier disturbing e-mails. They immediately asked for copies.
Problem was, the e-mails had all disappeared. Twenty minutes after the woman opened each electronic message, it somehow automatically deleted itself from her computer’s in-box.
So a police officer sat down at the woman’s computer to see the next threat himself.
By July, the FBI was knocking at the door of Hart, a former SEPTA employee now being held in jail. On Monday, he will be sentenced in U.S. District Court for a string of electronic attacks on the woman, her friends, and her family. He pleaded guilty in November.
“For about a month, when all the harassment was going on, I would sit in my room and pray to God that it would stop,” the 24-year-old woman, who lives in California, wrote in a victim’s statement. Her name is redacted from sentencing documents.
In the course of a few hours one evening last year, prosecutors believe, Hart dispatched a sewer repairman, a pizza deliverer, and an electrician to her father’s house.
After a short relationship – initiated on an online dating site – Hart reacted with fury when the woman announced she was moving from Philadelphia to take an internship at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories in California.
First, he threatened suicide. Then came the stalking.
The self-deleting e-mails were an unusual touch: Even the experienced federal prosecutor in Philadelphia had not encountered it before.
Hart also used a second tactic, called “spoofing,” to make harassing calls that recipients could not trace to his telephone number.
Using “SpoofCard.com,” one of many Internet services that permit callers to hide their phone number and even change the sound of their voice, Hart made calls warning the woman that she had 10 days to leave California “or else.” In another call, he said, “You’re going to [obscenity] die.”
Thanks to modern electronics, that wasn’t all.
Using passwords obtained while they lived together, Hart canceled a doctor’s appointment, changed the passwords on the woman’s e-mail and Facebook accounts, took control of her bank accounts, and deleted her application to take the Medical College Admission Test.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Levy is asking for a sentence of at least 57 months, a year above the federal guidelines. “To say that this defendant has serious emotional problems when it comes to dealing with women is an understatement,” he has told the judge.
He also offers some advice: Completely revise a password whenever you believe it is compromised. And be careful with whom you share a password.
Hart’s attorney, federal public defender Mark T. Wilson, did not return messages seeking comment.
Hart pleaded guilty to stalking and unauthorized use of a computer. Such crimes are usually prosecuted in state court, but he is facing a federal judge because the victim worked at a federal institution, Livermore, whose internal police force the woman had initially contacted.
Among other scientific work, Lawrence Livermore is the nation’s top nuclear-weapons research lab, though the woman, a biology and premed major, was not employed in that research.
Hart has previous convictions for forgery, and in 2003 he was convicted in Burlington County “for almost identical” stalking charges, Levy said. In 2005, he was convicted for sneaking into a women’s bathroom at Immaculata College and videotaping students as they used the toilet. He initially received probation, but within 18 months he was in violation and served time in jail, according to court documents. He is in Chester County Jail for again violating his probation.
When FBI agents searched his Philadelphia apartment, they discovered a telescopelike object called a “peephole reverser.”
“The agents tested it and determined that it enabled a viewer to look into an apartment through the peephole,” according to court documents.
“The Federal Bureau of Prisons does have counseling programs,” Levy said in an interview, “and he clearly needs counseling. I don’t know if he would be cured.”
Levy, who has wide experience handling computer crime, said it was the first case he had handled involving self-deleting e-mails.
No one from the mail service Hart used, BigString in Red Bank, N.J., returned calls or messages seeking comment.
The company is in financial trouble, according to corporate records, but at least a half-dozen other firms offer such services, according to their websites. Various technology is used. BigString promises that once the recipient clicks on the message sent through its servers, the mail will “self-destruct” within a specified time period.
On its website, the firm adds, “The mail, while looking like every other mail, will print nothing when the receiver clicks print on the computer and show nothing if the receiver tries to save the text or image.”
The second technique Hart used is more common. Spoofing has been controversial enough that Congress last year made it illegal to hide the origin of a telephone call “unless a legitimate business reason exists,” according to pending Federal Communications Commission regulations.
Meir Cohen, president of SpoofCard.com, said that despite the firm’s name, its intent is to provide legitimate services. As an example, he cited an on-call physician who may use a personal cell phone to contact a patient but wants return calls to go to his office or answering service first. The doctor can have one of those numbers appear on the patient’s telephone instead.
“The vast majority of our customers use it as a tool to protect their privacy,” Cohen said. “A large portion of customers are really women who want to protect their privacy and don’t want [stalkers] to have their numbers.”
Cohen, who was familiar with the Hart case, said, “My heart goes out to the victim.”
SpoofCard.com cooperates with law enforcement, he said, and “we will hand over records if we are subpoenaed.”
Peephole Removed in Northeast Dallas Residence
11700 block of FERGUSON RD Northeast Dallas
ON MARCH 26, 2011, @ 6:04 p.m. THE SUSPS BROKE THE GLASS ON THE COMP’S PEEPHOLE ON HER FRONT DOOR AND REMOVED THE PEEPHOLE WITH AN UNKNOWN TOOL WITHOUT THE COMP’S PERMISSION.
Hotel Peephole Hack Allows For Spying From Outside
Hotel Peephole Hack Allows For Spying From Outside
By: Kat Hannaford, Gizmodo
Dec. 01, 2010
This is just plain scary. Kent, a guest at an unnamed hotel, awoke to discover a rolled-out piece of paper on the carpet underneath his peephole. On closer inspection, he realized it’d fallen out of the peephole.
When he left his room, he found he was able to remove the outer glass on the peephole, blow on the rolled-up paper sitting in the hole so it fell out (onto the carpet of his room, where he found it that morning), and peer straight into his room.
He told the hotel, of course, who were “mortified, and instantly sent houskeeping door-to-door,” but nonetheless it’s worth always checking peepholes if you’re worried about someone spying on your sexytimes. Or clipping of toenails in bed. [Flickr via Boing Boing]
Source: http://gizmodo.com/5703053/hotel-peephole-hack-allows-for-spying-from-outside
Peepholes Removed in University of Maryland Commons Apartments
Vandalism may lead to higher Commons rent
University of Maryland
By Rachel Roubein / Staff writer
March 7, 2011
Students signing leases for South Campus Commons apartments have been greeted with higher rent rates officials said could continue to increase if vandalism in the buildings does not stop.
The 3 percent jump from last year’s rental rates — which increases the cost of a four-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment by $23 to $767 per month — is being attributed to the rising cost of living, according to Gina Brasty, the director of affiliated housing for Capstone Management. But as officials have continued to see an increase in acts of vandalism in the various apartment buildings, Brasty said students need to be warned: The funds to fix damages could come out of their own pockets.
Brasty said a certain pool of money is allotted to cover common acts of vandalism, including holes punched in walls and stolen peepholes, but as these random acts increase, other reserves may have to be used to cover the charges.
“It’s not just that an exit sign is down, it’s not just that someone decided to vomit in the hallway, it’s that all those things are associated with a price tag,” Brasty said. “Someone has to be paid to clean that up.”
Brasty could not say exactly how many destructive acts have occurred recently or how much they have cost Capstone to fix. But University Police spokesman Sgt. Ken Leonard said vandalism has been reported more this semester than last, causing officers to patrol the Commons properties and the buildings’ hallways more often.
“We definitely have people going in there. … Anytime we have a problem like this that’s being reported to us more often, we’re going to step up patrols in that area,” he said.
And while vandalism may not have directly caused the rental rates to increase yet, Brasty said students could already be seeing long-term effects.
“We don’t want the vandalism to cause us to not be able to improve things in the community,” she said. “If I have to choose between getting exit signs fixed and [replacing] new chairs that are ripped, I have to do the exit signs. We sure don’t want to get to the point where we have to increase rent to cover this increase in vandalism.”
Several Commons residents, such as senior government and politics major Hitesh Virmani, said they have noticed the problem across the building.
“A couple months ago, someone punched holes in the ceiling tiles,” said Virmani, who lives in Commons 6. “There’s always trash in the elevator, and every once in a while someone knocks down the exit signs. [People] just get drunk and want to lash out at something, and it just happens to be an exit sign.”
Junior communication and sociology major Shannon Lee said the source of the vandalism was obvious.
“I feel like it’s usually just drunk kids in the middle of the night,” she said.
Leonard said police believe that most of the acts are fueled by alcohol. To combat the aggressive behavior, Brasty said she is working closely with police and the Department of Resident Life to ensure rent doesn’t have to rise unnecessarily.
“If we can nip this now, we’ll have the ability to turn things around,” she said. “You have these people who are just basically … walking through and punching walls, just stealing peepholes, a variety of just senseless, senseless vandalism.”
Reverse Peep Hole Viewer Alert
Posted January 15, 2012 by KC Investigations
Reverse Peep Hole Viewer Alert. While serving court documents this evening and arriving at an apartment complex I observed a guy using a reverse peep hole viewer and looking inside the recipients apartment. He saw me and walked to his apartment across the hall. I informed the lady of my observation and advised her she should contact the police, to be careful of her male neighbor and to cover her peep hole from the inside of her apartment.
These reverse peep hole viewers are commonly used by law enforcement for legal purposes, which allows for one’s home to be viewed from outside and are also available to the general public for cheap as $20.
Something to think about is whether at home or a hotel always cover your peep holes because there are perverts and intruders who may be watching you.
Source: http://kencote.wordpress.com/2012/01/15/peep-hole-caution/
Peepholes Stolen from Guardian Court Apartments, Louisville KY
GUARDIAN COURT APARTMENTS, LOUISVILLE, KY, 40219
March 6, 2011
PEEPHOLE FROM PROPERTY STOLEN: RP1 called to state a WM and a Wm Juvenile were going through the building removing peep holes from apt doors. The suspects were caught by a male neighbor and the peep holes were dropped as they took off. The RP1 got hers re
Serial Rapist Facilitated Crimes by Removing or Reversing Peepholes on Hotel Rooms and Apartments
Meal at waffle shop proves fateful for rapist prison guard
Sept 8, 2010
Springfield police suspected that a prison guard named Bobbie McGhee was a serial rapist. They wanted a sample of his DNA. They got it from the utensils he used at a waffle shop.
McGhee was under surveillance when he stopped into the Belgian Waffle and Pancake House near his home. The traces he left on the silverware confirmed that he was the ski-masked man who stalked women at hotels and apartment buildings.
McGhee, 48, was sentenced to 45 years in prison last Thursday. In May, he pleaded guilty to 12 felony counts of burglary, sodomy and rape.
McGhee terrorized women while working as a prison guard at the Ozark Correctional Center. He facilitated his crimes by removing or reversing peepholes on doors of hotel rooms and apartments. Authorities were able to link him to five rapes committed between 2000 and 2008.
Three of McGhee’s victims spoke at his sentencing. One woman said she believed that McGhee’s training as a prison guard enabled him to restrain her.
McGhee’s lawyer asked for a lighter sentence, telling the court the defendant had experienced a traumatic childhood. When he spoke, McGhee apologized for the “horrible thing” he had done.
Sharing the name (if not the spelling) of a man in a song Janis Joplin took to No. 1, McGhee will be spending many years in a place where the doors have slits instead of peepholes, and topping a waffle with peaches and whipped cream is not an option.
Burglars Use Peepholes to Scope Out Apartments, Nearly $10,000 Electronics Stolen
Peephole Burglars Strike in Woodstock
WOODSTOCK, GA
Sept 8, 2010
Despite security gates and high fences that surround the Alta Woods Apartments off Trickum Road in Woodstock, thieves have broken into four units.
It’s how they scoped out the apartments that surprises even police.
“They were removing the peephole and once the peephole is removed you’re able to clearly look inside the apartment. You’re also able to hear inside to see if it’s occupied,” said Woodstock Police Spokeswoman Brittany Duncan.
Police believe the burglaries happened Friday afternoon. Residents are out nearly $10,000 worth of televisions, computers and other electronics.
Some at the apartment complex weren’t even aware of the break-ins.
“You think of a peephole as keeping bad people out, not helping them get in,” said tenant Suzanne Lytle.
At least one tenant noticed a man walking out of one of the buildings Friday afternoon with a TV under his arm. Police say he and another man drove off in a gold car.
Investigators are asking anyone who may have seen something suspicious or has more information to call the Woodstock Police Department at 770-592-603
Source: http://woodstock.11alive.com/content/peephole-burglars-strike-woodstock
Upset Traveler Finds Reversed Peephole in Hotel Room - Livermore, CA
Livermore, CA
2010 Hotel Review
The peephole in my room (Room 302) was reversed so people in the hallway can look INTO my room!! When I told the receptionist Nicole N, she immediately said that it can’t be one of her staff. She guarantees that it’s not one of her staff — WTF!! How the heck does she know that it’s not one of her perverted staff?!? I will NEVER stay here again!! I am only here for work and will NOT recommend it to anyone!!
178 Peepholes Stolen from Illinois State Dorm Rooms
Peepholes stolen from Hewett dorm rooms
Normal, IL
March 25, 2010
The majority of Hewett Hall residents have noticed that there is something missing from their dorm room door. Within the past weekend, the peepholes of the wooden doors have gone suddenly missing.
The peephole in the dorm room door is the main security other than the lock. Without the peephole, Hewett Hall residents are now faced to guess who is at the door.
Originally, we had 178 peepholes missing. We believe they were taken sometime between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m. sometime over the weekend, Hewett Hall Residence Hall Coordinator Lupe Montalvo said.
While 178 were originally missing, 148 peepholes have been found or returned in some particular way.
The majority of the peepholes returned were found in a womens bathroom with a note. Also, about five others have been found on random floors in the hallways, according to Montalvo.
I did not realize my peephole was missing until a friend pointed it out to me on Sunday. Then walking through my hallway, I saw random peepholes hidden on top of the lights. Also, people on my floor found a large bag of peepholes in our bathroom, freshman public relations major and Hewett Hall resident Lauren Hill said.
Our main concern regarding these acts is one of security. Certainly there is an inconvenience to students, and for both of those reasons we hope to find those responsible and prevent this issue from happening again, Reeland said.
If a student notices their peephole is missing, I would advise them to let their RA know immediately so that they can provide a temporary fix for the issue and schedule a repair, Reeland said.
Additionally, Reeland encourages students to provide staff with any crucial information that would be helpful in the ISUPD investigation of the situation.
While more investigation is underway, Montalvo said she is working with building mechanics to replace the peepholes promptly.
If we cannot find the individuals responsible, we can prorate the expenses to all Hewett Residents. That is why it is really important for anyone who has information to contact me, Montalvo said.
The dorm has a list of missing peepholes that need to be replaced. They ask that if anyone has any information to come forward with it. Montalvo can be contacted at gmontal@ilstu.edu or through her phone line at (309) 436-1599.
Over 150 Peepholes Removed Throughout City - DNA Links Man to 5 rapes in 8 years in Springfield MO
4/13/2009
Springfield, MO
Police say DNA links man to 5 rapes in 8 years in Springfield Over 150 peepholes removed throughout city
by Marie Saavedra, KY3 News
City police say they got DNA from restaurant silverware used by a rape suspect three days ago and were able to link him to five rapes in the city in eight years, including one this month. Bobbie McGhee of Springfield may also be linked to a rape in Fulton. At a news conference on Thursday morning, police detailed the history of the rapes, which they say they didn’t know were committed by one man until recently. The rapes in Springfield were at two hotels and two apartment complexes. In each case, the rapist wore a ski mask and forced his way into a hotel room or apartment. Police say McGhee became a suspect this month, and undercover officers started tailing him. That’s how they were able to obtain his DNA off silverware that McGhee used at the Belgian Waffle and Pancake House on South Campbell Avenue on Sunday. “He’d always order a breakfast special, always drink his sweet tea, always knew what he was getting,” said waitress Karen Lauck. Lauck knows McGhee’s order by heart from his frequent stops at Belgian Waffle House. It’s an order that would put him behind bars once police started bussing his table on Sunday. Lauck figured out what the cops were after: DNA. Police say they asked the Missouri State Highway Patrol to put a rush on the DNA analysis, and arrested McGhee on Wednesday, the same day that prosecutors charged him with 15 crimes. Police say the rapes were at the Lamplighter Hotel on Glenstone Avenue at Sunshine Street on April 10, 2000, and January 24, 2007; at the Hampton Inn and Suites, 2750 N. Glenstone, on March 21, 2008; at an apartment at 1364 E. McDaniel St. on July 6, 2008; and an apartment at 664 S. Kentwood Ave. on Oct. 8, 2008. McGhee may also be a suspect in a rape in Fulton. In some or all of the cases, police say, the rapist tampered with the peepholes in the doors of the hotel rooms and apartments. The peepholes were either removed or reversed, police said, apparently so the rapist could look inside from the hallway. It’s been eight years since that first attack but staff at the Lamplighter say, if McGhee is found responsible for the crime, he’s also responsible for that hotel’s security upgrade. All of its peepholes are now welded into the doors. Police said a complaint about a peeping Tom led them to focus on McGhee, who is a corrections officer at Ozark Correctional Center east of Fordland on U.S. 60. The Department of Corrections said his salary was $28,000 a year. He was suspended without pay on Wednesday. He started working for the Corrections Department at the Cremer Therapeutic Community Center in Fulton on Oct. 31, 2005. He transferred to Ozark Correctional Center on Nov. 26, 2006. McGhee is charged with five counts of first-degree burglary, four counts of forcible rape, one count of attempted forcible rape, and five counts of forcible sodomy. If convicted, he could get prison sentences between five and 30 years (life) for each forcible rape, forcible sodomy and attempted forcible rape charge. —- Edited news release from Springfield Police Department: Over time, law enforcement has seen many helpful advances in the use of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) as evidence, mostly due to the technological development of equipment used to gather DNA profiles. It is widely believed that DNA will continue to play an increasing role in the effort to bring suspects to justice. A recent case highlights this trend. With information developed using DNA, the Springfield Police Department arrested a man Wednesday for a rape that happened this month. After further investigation and interviews with the suspect, police now believe the same man is responsible for at least five rapes in Springfield since January 2000. Initially, just two assaults from January 2007 and March 2008 appeared to share similar characteristics. The victims in each case reported similar details, however the rapist’s face was concealed in each incident. This combined with little recovered evidence left police few leads, except for the fact that sometimes the victim’s front door was missing its peephole. At the time, at least 150 peepholes had been discovered missing at various locations throughout the city, so the police department issued an alert asking the public to be aware of the trend. One more rape occurred this month at 664 S. Kentwood Ave. In this case, investigators obtained DNA evidence from the crime scene. Detectives checked the DNA sample against a statewide database and found it matched a DNA profile taken from an unsolved rape in Fulton. This was the first solid piece of evidence that linked the rapist to more than one assault but detectives still did not have a suspect. Numerous persons of interest had been identified up to that point but they had all been cleared through investigation. After discovering the man had attacked a woman in Fulton, detectives matched their notes with details learned during that investigation. By combining the information and checking it against department resources, police were able to identify a suspect who could have been responsible for assaults in both cities. Detectives identified a suspect and began performing surveillance. After recovering additional evidence, police took Bobbie McGhee of Springfield into custody on Wednesday morning. Later that day, detectives developed evidence that he was also responsible for two additional rapes, one in January 2000 and the other one last July. The investigation is ongoing, and detectives are examining past unsolved sexual assaults to determine if any connection to McGhee exists. Anyone else with information about the incident can call (417) 864-1810 or make an anonymous report at (417) 869-TIPS (Crime Stoppers).
Peephole Pranksters Hit University of Georgia Dormitory
2/25/2009
by Vivian Giang
The next time you feel as though someone is watching you, check your peephole instead of your window – Peeping Tom might not be responsible for this one.
Throughout the years, University Housing has attempted to improve their security measures by establishing visitation policies, security monitoring and biometric hand readers, which scans students’ hands in conjunction with their UGA ID cards.
Aside from this, every dorm room is equipped with a peephole in order to provide extra security and precaution for every student.
Yet, the extra security measure has been turned into a practical joke as a peculiar trend circulates through the residence halls – reversing peepholes so their principle function is to peer in on people, rather than allowing residents to peek out.
“I’m not quite sure who started it, but someone said, ‘Hey, look in here,’ so I did and I saw the people inside,” said Ileana Figueroa, a freshman from Augusta residing in Lipscomb Hall in an interview last week.
“The peepholes are pretty easy to unscrew – all you have to do is have the door open,” Figueroa said. “Everyone in our hall is pretty close so anything like this is just a joke.”
Sam White and his roommate Peri Finch, who both reside in Lipscomb Hall, are victims of the peephole tampering trend. Other people traveling by could look inside
White and Finch’s room and observe them without being noticed.
“When it happened, we were distracted – a couple of our friends were over and one of our neighbors reversed the peephole and every now and then people would just look in to see what we’re doing,” said White, a freshman from Alpharetta.
Both of the targets did not realize their peepholes had been tinkered with for an entire week.
“I didn’t feel weird about it because I know these people,” said Finch, a freshman from Decatur. “But I’ve kind of heard of instances where it has happened before and in terms of people doing it in a negative way – it could happen because people can spy on others although I don’t think it’s a huge deal.”
However, the practical joke comes with a penalty if the jokers are caught.
There is a cost replacement for missing peepholes, said Carla Dennis, assistant to the executive director of University Housing, in a phone interview Tuesday.
Although most often, Housing Services is unaware of missing peepholes, she said, students caught tampering with peepholes will go through a judicial review.
“Peepholes are definitely important – they are in place as an added security for students,” said Dennis, who is also a former hall director at Oglethorpe House dormitory.
“I think it’s important for them to understand why the peepholes are there in place, and I would hope that students think twice about messing with this because they want their friends to be safe,” she said.
Colorado Couple Finds Peephole Reversed in Fla. Hotel - Centennial, CO
CENTENNIAL, CO
Tammy Vigil
Feb. 23, 2009
A trip to Florida was supposed to be filled with rest and relaxation. But it was more infuriating for a Highlands Ranch couple. Aaron and Amy Cali found a peephole in their room had been reversed. So people on the outside could look inside their room.
“This was our first vacation alone in 13 years,” said Amy Cali.
The couple ended a Caribbean cruise on Valentine’s night at a Quality Inn in Hollywood, Fla. The next morning, Amy got a disturbing surprise.
“I noticed a light coming from the hotel door about 3 feet up. I realized it was a peephole. I tried looking out of it and didn’t see anything,” says Amy. So, she went outside and looked in.
“You could see the entire hotel room, the bed, bathroom. You could see the entire room. Everything,” she said.
Cali said their rights to privacy were violated. “We don’t know if photos were taken. We don’t know if videos were taken. We don’t know who was looking, how many were looking.”
It was one of two peepholes on the door. One is handicapped accessible. “ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requires 80 inches for a peep hole. But you have to have another one for the ADA person,” said Izzy Fintz, Quality Inn manager.
Hotel management believes someone tampered with the peephole. But said no one was hurt. Police apparently agreed.
“There are no suspects on scene. Surveillance video did not help at all,” said Hollywood Police Lt. Manny Marino. Police explained for it to be a crime, they’d actually have to catch someone in the act of peeping. A reverse peephole, on its own, is not illegal.
“Future hotel visits, I’ll check everything,” Amy said.
It appears the Cali’s won’t be able to make a claim for any violation. But they said speaking out is some vindication. “I just hope it never happens to anyone else. In a hotel room, you have every expectation that it’s private,” she said.
The hotel’s management said it reviewed 24 hours of surveillance video from the Cali’s stay at the hotel. Managers said the video showed no one looking in their door.
They are making that video available to the Cali’s lawyer in Florida.
Source: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/181021-co-couple-finds-peephole-in-fl-hotel-room-backwards/
Peepholes Removed and Electronics Stolen in Fulton GA
North Fulton, GA
Police Blotter
Feb 6, 2009
Milton police reported at least four homes were broken into Feb. 6 at the Stoneleigh apartments. According to the incident reports, in each of the crimes the suspect or suspects removed the front door’s peephole, then kicked the door down. Items taken included digital televisions, cameras, computers, and other electronic devices. One victim said he’d discovered the break in when he came home for lunch. He said he spotted a suspicious man walking on the second floor of the building that had been hit who was talking on a cell phone. Later, when the victim went to the leasing office to report the crime, he said he saw that man and another suspect leave the complex in two trucks.
Source: http://northfulton.com/stories/North-Fulton-police-blotter,39426
Multiple Breakins With Peepholes Removed From Apartment Doors in League City, TX
1/14/2011
League City, TX
BURGLARY: Jan. 14, 2:30 p.m.
The League City Police Department reported the following incidents between Jan. 14 and the early hours of Jan. 15: A man reported an unknown person broke into his home in the 1700 block of West Walker Street. The suspect reportedly removed the peep hole from the front door and broke a deadbolt to gain access. In three separate incidents, a suspect removed the peep holes from apartment doors and then used an instrument to apply force to the deadbolts, forcing the doors open.
Peephole Burglars Strike Target Apartment Complex For Second Time in Woodstock, GA
9/22/2010
Peephole Burglars Strike Again Burglars Target Apartment Complex For Second Time This Month
By Katie Brace, CBS Atlanta Reporter
Woodstock police said the peephole burglars struck again. Police said nine apartments were burglarized and the burglars tried to break into three others Monday. The apartments were in the Alta Woods complex. Investigators said the burglars removed the peepholes to look into the apartments and check if anyone was home and what was inside. Over Labor Day weekend, several apartments in the same complex were targeted in the same way. The apartments were broken into in the middle of the day and electronics were stolen. Police said since the crimes happened when few people were around, they do not have a good description of the burglars. Police said they are looking for two men who drove either a silver or gold car. In an attempt to deter more break-ins police increased security patrols, the complex held several neighborhood watch meetings and peepholes were replaced. Police said about $15,000 worth of electronics was stolen over the two days of crime.
Peepholes Stolen at University of Albany Dorms
11/1/2009
By Albany Student Press
Alumni Quad – Alden Hall
Eight peepholes removed from 3rd floor doors.
Springfield Police Keep Eye Out For Peephole Thieves
8/22/2008
By Gene Hartley
Since the beginning of the year, the Springfield Police Department has several reports of peepholes missing from doors in hotels, motels and apartment complexes. For the most part, the reports have come from seven locations and there does not yet appear to be a predictable pattern for police to follow. The police department asks the public to be aware of the crime and to report any suspicious activity. Of particular interest to police would be anyone loitering around hallways or trying to look through peepholes. It’s important to note that generally the outside half of the peephole can be removed without disturbing the inside portion. Concerned residents who want to check their doors should examine the outside lens of the peephole. If it’s missing or someone has obviously tampered with it, a report should be made to the property manager and police. In addition to residents, police also ask staff members at hotels and apartment complexes to be aware of the trend and notify law enforcement of any suspicious activity. A report can be made by calling (417) 864-1810 or, anonymously, at 869-TIPS (Crime Stoppers). If information given leads to a felony conviction, a cash award may be considered for the tipster.
Peepholes Stolen at Truman State Dormitories
People pluck peepholes
By Kristen Birenbaum
Some students worry about peeping toms after peepholes were stolen from Ryle Hall rooms over Midterm Break. During Midterm Break, peepholes were stolen or found loosened from Ryle Hall rooms. An e-mail was sent out to these residents explaining this situation and telling students to get into contact with facilities by calling the Fix-It Line to receive new ones. Ryle Hall Director Zac Burden said the Friday before Midterm Break all residents had to be out of the building and when regular rounds were made, the staff noticed that peepholes were missing from some of the rooms in Ryle Hall, which was odd. “Being that we only had a handful of people in the building, I didn’t really suspect them of doing anything and we started to investigate, we noticed that peepholes were either missing or loose from several of the rooms throughout the building which was concerning,” Burden said. Burden said after the staff noticed the missing and loosened peepholes, DPS was called and walked around the building with staff members. He said Ryle Hall staff members keyed into each room making sure everyone was out of the building, but they did not find anyone at that point and have had no further problems. Burden said he called into facilities and they took care of some of the peepholes that they noticed were missing. He said housekeepers found a small collection of them, but no one was caught. Although some students might lack complete privacy temporarily, Burden said he thinks the students are very safe in their rooms. “Their safety is not in jeopardy by it, perhaps just a little bit of privacy,” Burden said. “It requires that all students be diligent when looking at their space and making sure that they’re keeping their own space as safe as possible.” Freshman Alex McKamie was one of the Ryle Hall residents that noticed his peephole was missing after Midterm Break. “We thought one of our friends did it as a joke, but we asked him and he said no, so we didn’t know who did it,” McKamie said. “We put a little thing over it, so it didn’t really bother us.” McKamie said he will probably get the peephole fixed before the end of the year so he does not get charged. He said having the peephole missing does not really bother him because he always has his door propped. However, McKamie said he did feel like his privacy was invaded before the hole was covered. “It sucked when we didn’t have anything over it because you could just literally look in and see the entire room,” McKamie said. Ryle Hall resident sophomore Sam Montgomery said he noticed his missing peephole after Midterm Break. “We got an email the next day explaining that somebody stole a lot of them,” Montgomery said. In order to maintain his privacy, he plugged the missing peephole with a wrapper. “I don’t really think [it affects student’s privacy] that much,” Montgomery said. Maybe someone just walking by can see in your room, but nobody would just stare.” Freshman Elizabeth Macy is also a Ryle Hall resident whose peephole was stolen. Macy said she received an e-mail about the stolen peephole a couple days before she got back from break. She said she did not even notice it was missing because she does not use it, but her roommate finally noticed that it was gone. “The other half is still in our half of the door you can’t see through, but I was thinking if our half got taken out, you could see the room and that’s a little creepy,” Macy said. Macy said she will probably call the Fix-It Line to receive a new one.
Report of Stalker at Cal State Fullerton Using Peephole to See Inside Dorm Room
Woman Stalked
Cal State Fullerton Daily Titan
Police Blotter
11/13/2006
6:17 p.m. A woman called from the Cypress dorm reporting that she felt she was being stalked by a man, described as 5 foot, 3 inches, with dark hair and glasses and wearing jeans and a green sweatshirt. She saw the man peering at her through the peephole of her door, and believed he may have been watching her earlier. Campus Police conducted a field interview about the incident.
Burglar Removed Peephole From Door to Spy on Woman - Seattle, WA
Intruder Surprises 2 Women In Fremont Neighborhood
Seattle, WA
9/1/2004
Police are looking for a burglar who breaks into homes in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood when he knows women are home alone. In August, the man forced his way into a secured apartment building and broke into a woman’s apartment while she was taking a shower, police said. “She heard somebody coming up the stairs and nobody should have been there. That is when she came out screaming and yelling and that is when he ran off,” said the manager of the apartment building, who did not want to be identified. The manager said the man removed peephole from a door to spy on the woman and used a knife to jimmy the lock. Police said another woman found the same man in her home after he cut a screen to get inside. She screamed and he ran away. “Whether or not there are any other indication or motivation other than to take property we don’t know,” said Sean Whitcomb of the Seattle department. The intruder is described as white man in his mid- to late 20s, about 6 feet tall and clean cut with a medium build, sandy hair and a very dark tan.
Peepholes Removed from Outside of Dormitory Room Doors at James Madison University
3/30/2002
PETTY LARCENY -James Madison University
jmu.edu/pubsafety/CrimeReports
Eagle Hall – Unknown person removed peepholes from several rooms by screwing off the outside portions.
Peephole Removed at Duke University Dormitory
4/9/2001
Removed Peephole
Duke University: A student reported that while she slept–between 2:45 and 9:45 a.m. April 9, 2001– someone unscrewed the peep hole to her door, entered her unsecured room in York Dormitory and placed the peep hole on her dresser, Dean said.
Peepholes Stolen From Apartments in Lake Bluff, IL
4/18/1997
An eccentric thief Tuesday reportedly stole peephole…
Chicago Tribune
Police report
An eccentric thief Tuesday reportedly stole peephole fittings from the front doors of 21 apartments in the Heiden Circle apartment complex at 1300 Heiden Circle, Lake Bluff. The fittings were expertly removed, most from occupied apartments, police reports said. The value of the fittings is unknown, reports said.
Peephole Removed From Boston College Dormitory Room
4/12/1995
Boston College
Police Blotter
Officer files a report on the larceny of a peephole from the exterior door of a room in7OSTM.